Meat Consumption, Sustainability and Alternatives: An Overview of Motives and Barriers

Abstract

Meat and meat products are important sources of protein in the human diet. However, their consumption or excessive consumption has been questioned as this has been related to sustainability and health issues. Due to this, alternatives to conventional meat consumption, such as meat produced more sustainably or meat alternatives, have been considered. The aim of the present work is to gain insight into the meat consumption of different countries, the motives for and barriers to this consumption, as well as into the consumption of more sustainably produced meat with particular focus on organic meat and meat alternatives. Information on meat consumption has been obtained using FAOSTAT data and maps have been constructed using SAS software. Results showed that, in general, albeit with variations between and within countries, there is a tendency to decrease red meat consumption and increase poultry consumption, while for pork consumption the tendency is less clear. Motives and barriers for meat and meat alternative consumption have been reviewed and it is possible to see that these are very variable and that they, in addition to the intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics of the meat, are also related to consumers’ attitudes and beliefs. Thus, it is important to inform consumers in a truthful and reliable way in order to allow them to make well-founded decisions regarding the consumption of these products.

Nowe media i technologie w komunikacji marketingowej – wybrane obszary aplikacji

“…Troska o zwierzęta i dobrostan środowiska naturalnego to ważne czynniki, które przyciągają konsumentów do produktów roślinnych [Font-i-Furnols, 2023]. W związku z tym marki powinny w większym stopniu wykorzystywać te motywy w swojej komunikacji w mediach społecznościowych.…”

“…Wzrost popularności i sprzedaży RZM jest silnie związany z głównymi motywami ograniczania spożycia mięsa. Należą do nich przede wszystkim: troska o klimat i dobrostan środowiska naturalnego, poprawa stanu zdrowia oraz etyczne aspekty hodowli i uboju zwierząt [Van Loo, Caputo i Lusk, 2020;Font-I-Furnols, 2023]. Do głównych atutów RZM należą też ich cechy sensoryczne.…”

“…Istotne są też bariery w postaci ceny czy dostępności tychże produktów. RZM są bowiem wciąż kategorią żywności dopiero wchodzącej na rynek, co wpływa na ich cenę, a potencjał w niej widzą tylko wybrane sieci handlowe [Andreani i in., 2022;Font-I-Furnols, 2023].…”

Conventional versus Cultured meat

“…A high proportion of people in developed countries are currently consuming significantly more than this. Meanwhile, livestock farming contributed negatively to the environmental due to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, land and water use, acidification, and eutrophication [19]. Results of research indicated that animal products in the form of meat, aquaculture, eggs, and dairy use about 83% of the world's farmland and contribute about 57% of foods' different emissions, while providing only 37% of world protein and 18% of calories.…”

Synbiotic-Glyconutrient Additive Reveals a Conducive Effect on Growth Performance, Fatty Acid Profile, Sensory Characteristics, and Texture Profile Analysis in Finishing Pig

“…Pork meat has gained significant prominence and emerged as a highly consumed meat in Asia and Europe [ 1 ] due to its high protein content and essential fatty acids, particularly saturated fatty acids, which are intricately linked to human health considerations [ 2 ]. Recently, there has been increasing interest in how to produce high-quality pork.…”