Identifying and Bridging Data Gaps for True Cost Accounting Assessments of European Diets, written by TMG's Gültaç Çinar, Siranush Ghukasyan, and Olivia Riemer, is out now. True Cost Accounting (TCA) can be used as a transformative tool, shedding light on the hidden costs generated by the environmental, social, and human health impacts of food systems. In the realm of dietary analysis, TCA provides a holistic lens to expose the true costs of European diets, facilitating the identification of key impacts, prioritizing improvement actions, and fostering strategies to move toward sustainable and healthy food systems. Presenting hidden environmental, social, and health impacts in monetary terms simplifies communication and facilitates the integration of sustainability into decision-making by policymakers, businesses, and consumers.

However, the effectiveness of TCA is hindered by data gaps. This Data Gaps Report report critically examines the availability, accessibility, and usability of secondary data sources for a TCA analysis of European diets. It reveals limitations in data availability and accessibility and highlights existing gaps that impede a comprehensive TCA analysis. It also provides strategic recommendations for enhancing data availability and quality, enhancing data accessibility, strengthening data governance, and future research directions.