Forty-five years of research on vegetarianism and veganism: A systematic and comprehensive literature review of quantitative studies

Veganism, cuisine, and class: exploring taste as a facilitator in adopting a vegan lifestyle in Santiago, Chile

“…Thanks to working with the dispositions learned at the origin, it allows us to approach the phenomenon of re-education of taste, more than just the current formation of taste and its expression. Third, evidence on veganism is generated from the global south by addressing the geographical gap identified by Salehi et al ( 2023 ). In Chile, vegan products and dishes such as legumes have been linked to disadvantaged sectors (Montecinos Aguirre, 2005 ), shedding light on the fact that the adoption of vegan practices can be facilitated by lower class habitus.…”

“…In Chile, a survey suggests that 14% of the adult population identifies as vegetarian, while 4% identify as vegan (CADEM, 2018 ). This growth has gone hand-in-hand with a significant increase in the amount of research associated with the topic since 2019 (Salehi et al, 2023 ).…”

The motivations and practices of vegetarian and vegan Saudis

“…However, in terms of the direction and thrust of ongoing and upcoming research, it is hoped that the scope of future research will achieve a greater balance in regards to geographical focus. In a review of the extant literature of studies on veganism and vegetarianism, Salehi et al, 19 discovered “a geographical dominance” and noted that research interest “is particularly robust within English-speaking Western countries.” 19 (p. 16) They further describe “a geographical gap” and identify the breakdown of the studies reviewed as mainly focused on the US and the UK and, primarily “focused on developed countries, mainly in the US (33%), the UK (10%), Germany (6.5%), Australia (3.5%), Canada (3.3%), and Spain (3.3%).” 19 (p. 5) Even though vegetarianism, as a practice and identity, traces back to ancient Greece, the presence of studies on vegetarianism and veganism is asymmetrical, favoring studies in the West. As Ruby 10 notes of his research “the review highlights the extremely limited cultural scope of the present data and calls for a broader investigation across non-Western cultures.” This research hopes to answer that call.…”

“…Furthermore, it has been reported within other population groups, for example, that meat consumption may fall at a faster rate than the number of individuals identified as vegetarian is rising 17 . This suggests that non-meat eaters do not necessarily identify as vegetarians and that occasional and low-meat eaters may relate to vegetarian or vegan ideals 18 , 19 . The results also point to the intricacies of dietarian identification and dietary practices; people may not identify as vegetarian or align with and practice perceived vegetarian ideals, despite consuming a solely plant-based diet 20 .…”

A sustainable and healthy diet: Personality, motives, and sociodemographics

“…The effects of sociodemographic variables and personality have been investigated in several studies [ [10] , [11] , [12] ], while the effects of food choice motives are less investigated. For example, in a recent review of 307 quantitative studies on vegetarianism and veganism from 1937 to 2022, motivations were presented in 39 %, values were presented in 21 %, and personality traits were presented in 10 % of the studies [ 13 ]. However, these studies mainly used a few variables to measure motives, and to our knowledge the entire food value system of individuals, as a source of food choice motives, has not been investigated.…”