Flexitarianism in the Netherlands in the 2010 decade: Shifts, consumer segments and motives

Muriel C.D Verain,Hans Dagevos,Patricia Jaspers

doi:10.1016/j.foodqual.2021.104445

Muriel C.D Verain, Hans Dagevos + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2021.104445

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Abstract

The consumption of large amounts of meat is associated with a high environmental burden and a negative impact on human health. A reduction in meat consumption in Western diets is needed. Consumers differ in their attitudes, norms and behaviours related to meat. The aim of the current study is to improve our understanding of meat consumption and reduction. Segments of meat consumers are identified and shifts in these segments, their attitudes and norms in the 2010 decade are examined. Two online surveys have been conducted among Dutch adults, one in 2011 (N = 1253) and one in 2019 (N = 1979). In both years, similar consumer segments were identified: two meat-oriented segments (compulsive meat eaters and meat lovers) and three segments of meat reducers (unconscious, potential and conscious flexitarians). The segments differed in their attitudes, norms and motives towards meat reduction, their meat consumption and intentions and in their socio-demographic and psychological profile. A comparison over the years showed minor, though positive changes. We conclude that meat consumers can be classified into several groups that form a continuum from strong meat attachment to significant meat moderation. Targeted approaches should be developed to stimulate these groups towards shifting their diet into more flexitarian directions. The development of flexitarianism in the Netherlands during the 2010 s suggests that there is still a long way to go to a predominantly plant-based flexitarian diet.

Highlights

Improving our understanding of meat reduction by consumers has become increasingly important since scientific evidence has mounted about the pressing need for a dietary shift from meat-rich diets to more plant-based food consumption patterns
First and foremost with respect to high-income countries, scholarly hope is placed on flexitarian diets – a diet in which meat intake is cur tailed by occasionally abstaining from eating meat without fully aban doning meat (Dagevos, 2021; Springmann et al, 2018; Willett et al, 2019) – to move to food consumption patterns that are less unsustain able and unhealthy than the current ones
Similar to multiple other studies in the field (e.g. De Backer & Hudders, 2014; Lacroix & Gifford, 2019; Lentz et al, 2018; Malek & Umberger, 2021) the present study revealed that health is a main motive for meat reduction across different consumer segments – for the three flexitarian segments

Summary

Introduction

Improving our understanding of meat reduction by consumers has become increasingly important since scientific evidence has mounted about the pressing need for a dietary shift from meat-rich diets to more plant-based food consumption patterns. Such a dietary shift is mostly advocated for environmental sustainability and human health reasons (Derbyshire, 2017; Godfray et al, 2018; Gonzalez, Marques, Nadal & Domingo, 2020; Poore & Nemecek, 2018; Richi et al, 2015; Springmann et al, 2018; Tilman & Clark, 2014; Willett et al, 2019). We aim to provide further insight into flexitarianism by investigating (i) consumers’ attitudes, norms and motives on meat reduction, (ii) different forms or levels of flexitarianism, and (iii) shifts towards more flexitarian diets in the 2010 decade

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