Alternatives to reduce meat consumption

A well-balanced diet is crucial for health, but in Scotland excessive meat consumption is an issue in some sectors of society. Reducing meat consumption will also support national climate goals. BioSS collaborated with Rowett scientists in analysing a national survey on attitudes toward meat and plant-based foods to explore factors and policies that may influence behaviours related to reductions in meat consumption. This research classifies the population using the COM-B (Capability_Opportunity_Motivation → Behaviour) behavioural model and has identified that making alternative plant-based foods more affordable is the preferred policy to most effectively reduce meat consumption.

A well-balanced diet is essential to maintain good health. However, in Scotland it is known that some people consume more meat than is ideal. Reducing meat consumption would be an effective way to support a healthier population, while also supporting the national move towards net-zero carbon emissions. BioSS, in collaboration with Rowett scientists, carried out a statistical analysis of responses to a nationally representative web-based survey in Scotland. A total of 1590 respondents were asked about their attitudes towards meat and plant-based foods. One section of the survey specifically explored the reduction of meat consumption using the COM-B (Capability_Opportunity_Motivation →Behaviour) behavioural model, collecting responses to 21 statements. Within this framework, behavioural change related to reduction in meat consumption can be influenced by three critical factors: capabilities, opportunities and motivations. Using Latent Class Analysis (LCA), respondents’ statements were used to categorise the participants into four classes who share COM-B related traits. Additionally, respondents were asked about their preferences for 25 policies that could be implemented to reduce meat consumption. To better support the collection of ranked preferences from participants, a Best-Worst Scaling (BWS) technique was used. BWS is a type of choice experiment in which participants carry out a series of choice tasks, each task presenting a different set of alternatives. Specifically, the task involves reviewing a number of options, and then selecting both the best and worst alternative within each set. To prevent fatigue and to ensure that each alternative and pair of alternatives are shown the same number of times, each respondent was asked to carry out only 10 tasks, each with 4 choices, with 265 versions of the design administered across the sample. Overall, reducing the price of vegetarian foods was found to be the most salient policy in encouraging less meat consumption, followed by improving the appeal or taste of those vegetarian options that are available to consumers. By understanding these categories of consumer and their preferences, we can tailor effective interventions and contribute to a more sustainable and health-conscious dietary landscape.

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a bowl of colourful food including rice, red chillies, and spring onions

This work was done in collaboration with David Mcbey, Benjamin McCormick and Jennie Macdiarmid at the Rowett Institute and was funded under the Scottish Government's Strategic Research Programme for environment, agriculture and food. 

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