Less Meat Initiatives at Ghent University: Assessing the Support among Students and How to Increase It

Groeve, Benjamin De; Bleys, Brent

doi:10.3390/su9091550

Cited by 23 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…In line with previous literature [28,39,[43][44][45], our results show that the intention to avoid meat is greater for women than for men. A common explanation for this finding is that meat is strongly linked to gender roles, functioning as a symbolic resource to perform a male identity [72].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…The belief that vegetarianism is beneficial to the environment [43] and the endorsement of biospheric values [31] are strong predictors of a vegetarian diet or the intention to reduce meat respectively. Furthermore, general environmental concern and high awareness of environmental problems increase the support for meat reduction intervention strategies [1,44]. Thirdly, health-related benefits emerge as another important aspect to choosing a vegetarian or plant-based diet [37,39].…”

Section: Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Motivations and Constraints of Meat Avoidance

2018

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Reducing the consumption of meat can make a significant contribution to sustainable development. However, at least in Western societies with their already rather high levels of per-capita meat consumption, only a minority of consumers reduces meat intake by following a vegetarian or plant-based diet. To arrive at a differentiated understanding of the conditions of meat avoidance, we empirically assess the importance of a broad set of specific motivations and constraints previously discussed in the literature, including specific benefits, particular constraints, social norms, and a vegetarian self-identity. The analysis is based on a random sample of students at the university of Zurich (Switzerland)—a social group exhibiting a rather high prevalence of plant-based diets and vegetarianism. Researching this young and educated population sheds light on the motivational underpinnings of consumer segments especially willing to reduce meat intake. Data were collected in November and December 2016. We found that a vegetarian self-identity, both injunctive and descriptive social norms, and convenience are the most important direct determinants of meat avoidance among this young and highly educated consumer segment. Furthermore, the results suggest that a vegetarian self-identity mediates the effects of ethical, health-related, and environmental benefits, taste as a constraint and partially the injunctive norm. Pecuniary costs of a vegetarian diet are not significantly correlated with meat avoidance.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Section: Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Motivations and Constraints of Meat Avoidance

2018

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“…Gender, age and education were identified as key variables in many studies in the review. The male gender was consistently associated with increased meat consumption and unwillingness to eat more plant-based diets, whereas the female gender was usually associated with lower meat consumption and with being more open to eat plant-based meals and follow plant-based diets (Chan et al, 2017;Costacou et al, 2003;de Boer & Aiking, 2011;de Groeve & Bleys, 2017;Hayley et al, 2015;Herzog & Golden, 2009;Hoek et al, 2004;Kalof et al, 1999;Lea et al, 2006a;O'Keefe et al, 2016;Pfeiler & Egloff, 2018;Rothgerber, 2013;Schösler et al, 2015;Siegrist et al, 2015;Tobler et al, 2011;Verain et al, 2015;Neff et al, 2018). With regard to age, the picture was less consistent than for gender.…”

Section: Sociodemographic Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A study with older-aged consumers found that exposure to messages to reduce meat consumption with health and well-being appeals influenced attitudes and intentions to reduce meat consumption (Bertolotti et al, 2016), and a study with university students showed that sending self-monitoring reminders with SMS messages reduced red meat consumption (via changes in healthy-eating and meat-eating identities, and intentions to reduce meat consumption; Carfora et al, 2017). However, one study with university students found that providing information about the climate impact of meat had no positive effects on the appraisal of a set of initiatives for reducing meat consumption (de Groeve & Bleys, 2017). Another study with participants from university settings and the general population found that providing information about the climate impact of meat had no effects on attitudes towards meat consumption, but led to lower intentions to eat meat when meat consumption and environmental concern were controlled for (Graham & Abrahamse, 2017).…”

Section: Motivation Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reducing meat consumption and following plant-based diets: Current evidence and future directions to inform integrated transitions

Graça

Godinho

Trüninger

2019

Trends in Food Science & Technology

299

186

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HighlightsEvidence on transitions to more plant-based diets is increasing but still fragmented.This limits concerted efforts to successfully shape and sustain these transitions.We present a systematic review of relevant variables, framed as barriers and enablers.These were mapped into a coherent overarching framework of behavior change.Studies that integrate capability, opportunity and motivation variables are needed.3 Abstract BackgroundThere is increasing consensus that transitioning towards reduced meat consumption and more plant-based diets is a key feature to address important health and sustainability challenges. However, relevant evidence that may inform these transitions remains fragmented with no overarching rationale or theoretical framework, which limits the ability to design and deliver coordinated efforts to address these challenges. Scope and approachEleven databases were systematically searched using sets of keywords referring meat curtailment, meat substitution and plant-based diets, as well as consumer choice, appraisal or behavior (2602 articles selected for title and abstract screening; 161 full-texts assessed for eligibility; 110 articles selected for extraction and coding). Barriers and enablers were identified and integrated into an overarching framework (i.e., COM-B system), which conceptualizes behavior as being influenced by three broad components: capability, opportunity and motivation. Key findings and conclusionsThis review mapped potential barriers and enablers in terms of capability, opportunity, and motivation to reduce meat consumption and follow more plant-based diets. These included lack of information for consumers and difficulty to acquire new cooking skills (barrier, capability), changes in service provision in collective meal contexts (enabler, opportunity), and positive taste expectations for plant-based meals (enabler, motivation). Evidence on variables referring to the motivation domain is clearly increasing, but there is a striking need for studies that include capability and opportunity variables as well. The results of this review are relevant to a variety of fields and audiences interested in promoting sustainable living and health improvements through dietary choice.

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“…Consumers often underestimate the impacts of meat consumption on climate change compared to other actions such as recycling, favouring local, organic and seasonal foods, and reducing food waste and excessive packaging, and express scepticism of scientific evidence linking meat and climate change [35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52]. This limited knowledge functions as a barrier since knowledge about the negative environmental impact of meat consumption is associated with higher willingness to change meat consumption behaviour [53][54][55]. On the other hand, previous research has also described the paradox of consumer unwillingness to change dietary habits combined with a general perception of personal duties towards preserving the environment, promoting public health and safeguarding animal welfare [56].…”

Section: Prior Topical Research: Factors Influencing Environmentally mentioning

confidence: 99%

Consumer Readiness to Reduce Meat Consumption for the Purpose of Environmental Sustainability: Insights from Norway

et al. 2018

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Food production is associated with various environmental impacts and the production of meat is highlighted as a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. A transition toward plant-based and low-meat diets has thus been emphasised as an important contribution to reducing climate change. By combining results from a consumer survey, focus group interviews and an in-store field experiment, this article investigates whether Norwegian consumers are ready to make food choices based on what is environmentally sustainable. We ask how consumers perceive the environmental impacts of food consumption, whether they are willing and able to change their food consumption in a more climate-friendly direction, and what influences their perceptions and positions. The results show that there is uncertainty among consumers regarding what constitutes climate- or environmentally friendly food choices and that few consumers are motivated to change their food consumption patterns for climate- or environmental reasons. Consumers’ support to initiatives, such as eating less meat and increasing the prices of meat, are partly determined by the consumers’ existing value orientation and their existing consumption practices. Finally, we find that although providing information about the climate benefits of eating less meat has an effect on vegetable purchases, this does not seem to mobilise consumer action any more than the provision of information about the health benefits of eating less meat does. The article concludes that environmental policies aiming to transfer part of the responsibility for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to food consumers is being challenged by the fact that most consumers are still not ready to make food choices based on what is best for the climate or environment.

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Less Meat Initiatives at Ghent University: Assessing the Support among Students and How to Increase It

Cited by 23 publications

References 46 publications

Motivations and Constraints of Meat Avoidance

Motivations and Constraints of Meat Avoidance

Reducing meat consumption and following plant-based diets: Current evidence and future directions to inform integrated transitions

Consumer Readiness to Reduce Meat Consumption for the Purpose of Environmental Sustainability: Insights from Norway

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