Towards more environmentally sustainable diets? Changes in the consumption of beef and plant- and insect-based protein products in consumer groups in Finland

Mari Niva,Annukka Vainio

doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2021.108635

Abstract

This study investigated consumers' self-reported past changes and future intentions to change the consumption of beef and alternative, plant- or insect-based protein products. A survey of 18–79-year-old consumers in Finland (N = 1000) was analysed with latent class analysis, and five consumer clusters were identified. The largest cluster (37%) consumed beef, but no alternative protein products; three clusters incorporated alternative protein products in their diets in different ways (in total 55%); and one cluster did not consume beef or alternative proteins (8%). In total 27% of the respondents intended to reduce the consumption of beef in the future, whereas 26% planned to increase the consumption of plant-based and 24% planned to increase the use of insect-based protein products. Multinomial logistic regression indicated that the use of alternative proteins was associated with higher health and sustainability motives, and lower food neophobia. The results suggest that demand for new, more sustainable proteins and protein innovations will grow in the future.

Highlights

Food production and consumption substantially contribute to many environmental problems, climate change, and loss of biodiversity, pollution of water resources and excess use of water and land (Springmann et al, 2018)
We focused on the following research questions: What kind of changes do consumers report in their con sumption of beef and plant- and insect-based protein products, and which changes do they plan to make in the future? what kind of consumer groups can be identified based on their self-reported changes? How are different sociodemographic backgrounds and eating motives associated with these changes?
The future intentions to increase the consumption of plant- and insect-based protein products were quite similar: about a quarter of the respondents intended to increase the consumption of these alternative protein products

Summary

Introduction

Food production and consumption substantially contribute to many environmental problems, climate change, and loss of biodiversity, pollution of water resources and excess use of water and land (Springmann et al, 2018). Especially beef, is a significant source of greenhouse gases and a cause of other environmentally harmful impacts. Transitions to less environmentally damaging diets include diminishing the use of beef and substituting it with more sus tainable options (Mathijs, 2015; Springmann et al, 2018), such as plantand insect-based proteins (Dobermann, Swift, & Field, 2017). With the many positive cultural meanings and established practices of eating meat, it has proved challenging to reduce meat consumption (Latvala et al, 2012; Mathijs, 2015). Flexitari anism – reducing meat consumption while not totally giving it up (Springmann et al, 2018) – is arousing increasing interest (Latvala et al, 2012; Ruby, 2012)

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