Abstract:

Emotions are present in almost everything we do, including meat procurement, preparation and consumption. This paper examines the main drivers of this consumption, including sensory and hedonic properties, physiological needs, historical reasons and habits, social influence, ethical motives, practical aspects and other determinants, exploring the meat-related emotions as both an outcome of consumption and as consumption drivers. Emotions are affected by multiple factors relating to the context, the information provided, and the type of product. Positive emotions such as pleasure, satisfaction, proudness and joyfulness have been described in relation to meat, as well as some neutral or negative ones. To enhance positive emotions and increase meat liking, it is essential to improve animal welfare and promote a more sustainable production, focusing on nutritional and sensory quality and providing consumers with reliable information.

Font-I-Furnols, M., & Guerrero, L. (2024). An overview of drivers and emotions of meat consumption. Meat Science, 109619.

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Food security and diet diversity is essential to sustainable food system all over the world. As the income of rural residents achieves great increase, the structure of food consumption and food diversification face significant change. Rural residents’ food consumption and nutrients intake worth more attention. Chinese government has been striving to achieve sustainable development in rural areas. We conducted this study to explore area-level practices aiming at achieving food and nutrition security in rural China. In order to search for the change principle and main influencing factors of residents’ food consumption, three rural areas in Henan Province were selected. According to the data obtained from the Henan Province Bureau of Statistics, changes in food consumption from 2012 to 2021 in three rural areas were analyzed in this study. This study led to the following remarkable results: (1) The per capita consumption of poultry, meat, sugar, and eggs of the three rural residents has increased much more than that of other food items. (2) In the three rural areas, the proportions of grains, vegetables, liquor, and edible oils have decreased overall. The proportions of other categories, such as poultry, meat, and fruits, have increased. (3) The rural residents’ per capita nutrition intake has increased remarkably. The results provide some empirical foundation for local government who need suggest that rural residents should control their intake of high-energy food, such as poultry, meat, and sugar. This study has significant policy implication for achieving sustainable goals in rural areas of China.

Wen, P., Zhu, N., & Jia, M. (2024). Changes in food consumption and nutrition intake of rural residents in central China. Heliyon, 10(16), e36523.

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Consumers and consumption are different when it comes to food compared with many other products. Some very specific conditions apply to food consumers and food consumption. The role of income is relatively clear: The consumption of animal-based foods—of which meat accounts for a significant share—increases in line with economic income, while the consumption of vegetable products is almost constant. The share of vegetable-based food will decline in line with increasing income. However, vegans, vegetarians and flexitarians belong to a small but rapidly growing population group in major parts of the world. Convenience, including takeaway food, eating out and catering, is becoming increasingly important with regards to food demand. Market shares for discount stores are also increasing in many countries. The prevalence of the political consumer is increasing, also driven by increasing income.

Hansen, H. O. (2024). Consumers and consumption. In Megatrends in agriculture, food industry and food markets: An empirical and holistic approach (pp. 243–284). Springer Nature Switzerland.

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Psychological behavioural theories and framework dominate existing work on pro- environmental behaviour, including in the modelling front. However, such abstract, parsimonious, and generalisable theories may not fully account for nor resonate with people’s lived experiences. To complement the theoretical frameworks, then, we conducted group model building workshops with graduate students to co-produce a model of human behaviour grounded on lived realities. Focusing on meat consumption as a relatable context, we used causal loop diagramming to capture and structure participants’ feedback stories on the drivers of meat consumption. Participants were encouraged to relate their experiences to their local contexts. This approach aims to provide a more nuanced understanding of human behaviour and its relation to environmental actions, enriching existing theoretical frameworks with real-world perspectives.

Rajah, J. K., & Kopainsky, B. (2024, August). Human behavioural drivers of meat consumption: Using group model building to capture lived realities. The 42nd International System Dynamics Conference.

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Abstract:

Foods are not eaten in isolation, and understanding how changes to one component impact others is vital. The recommendation to reduce meat consumption, e.g., from the Climate Change Committee, does so without reference to the wider diet. The proposed 30% reduction in meat (and dairy) has been described as “low cost, low regret”, but that does not appear to account for the cultural acceptability of what amounts to a significant reformulation of the UK diet.

McCormick, B., McBey, D., Horgan, G., & Macdiarmid, J. (2024). Pathways to healthy and sustainable diets: The role of meat in meal composition. University of Aberdeen.

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In the one health approach, which summarizes the concept that human, animal, and plant health are interdependent and linked to the ecosystems in which they exist, animal welfare assumes an important role. In addition, the Farm to Fork Strategy of the European Union recognizes animal welfare as an essential component. Transport of animals involves a number of issues related to welfare. Animals are subjected to continuous stress, not only during transit on vehicles, vessels, trains, or airplanes, but also during loading and unloading operations. The handling and transport conditions have improved from basic and relatively rudimentary systems, with elements to attenuate the discomfort of animals having been gradually introduced, especially for long-distance transport. Despite several improvements in animal welfare standards during transportation there are still pressing issues in current EU legislation which deserve reviewing. Recently, several scientific opinions on animal welfare, including during transport, have been published by the European Food Safety Agency, following requests by the European Commission. In addition, the European Court of Auditors published its last report focused on animal welfare during transport. These reports underline the need to review current legislation governing the topic and highlight a number of outstanding issues in the European Union and in Third Countries. This article summarizes the history and current status of this complex issue.

Giangaspero, M., & Turno, P. (2024). Animal welfare during transport, evolution, and perspectives of European Union legislation and policy. Open Veterinary Journal, 14(7), 1509–1525.

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The objective of this study was to assess the health and welfare of 70 commercial broiler flocks (transport batches) in three distinct slaughterhouses based on various indicators including emaciation, dirty feathers (DFs), footpad dermatitis (FPD), hock burn (HB), breast burn (BB), breast blister, breast ulcer, ascites, septicemia/abnormal color, cellulitis, extensive traumatisms, dead on arrival (DoA) and condemnation rate. Assessment scales ranging from 0 (absence) to 2 (severe) were used for DFs, FPD, and HB, while a 0 (absence) to 1 (present) scale was applied to BB, breast blisters, and breast ulcers. The prevalence of total condemnation causes (emaciation, ascites, septicemia/abnormal color, cellulitis, and extensive traumatism) and DoA were recorded and presented in percentages. Three flocks presented condemnation rates higher than 4% and 11 flocks presented DoA rates higher than 0.5%. Twenty-one flocks achieved grade 1 (warning) for FPD and 14 achieved grade 2 for FPD (alarm). Extensive trauma was observed in 0.01% of the slaughtered animals, and no flock reached the threshold of 2%. Breast blisters and breast ulcers lesions were not observed in the studied flocks. The significant positive associations observed for the presence of severe footpad dermatitis (FPD2), severe hock burns (HB2), and breast burns (BB1) indicate simultaneous occurrences. Absences of hock burns (HB0) and breast burns (BB0) were also associated. Eleven houses that obtained the worst results for welfare indicators at slaughterhouses were audited. FPD, HB, DoA, and the condemnation rate were the most crucial indicators for identifying farms with inadequate welfare conditions. These indicators should be systematically integrated into the welfare monitoring of broilers in slaughterhouses. Audits conducted on farms detected some noncompliance with regulatory welfare standards and suggested improvements in environmental and structural conditions, as well as the reduction in stocking densities and improvements in the water systems.

Saraiva, S., Santos, S., García-Díez, J., Simões, J., & Saraiva, C. (2024). Comparative analysis of animal welfare in three broiler slaughterhouses and associated farms with unsatisfactory slaughterhouse results. Animals, 14(17), 2468.

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Abstract:

Artificial intelligence has empowered digitalization into a new era of intelligent systems. Machine learning solutions are being tailored to various application scenarios, leading to automated functionalities along complex real-world processes. In this paper, we investigate the domain of animal welfare and present our latest findings in relation to the automated detection of animal welfare violations. To this end, we introduce three different situations of increased animal welfare risk occurring in a pig slaughtering process and elucidate YOLO-based approaches to detect these situations based on video data. Though the reported results are considered to be preliminary, our solution already detects most of the situations of increased animal welfare risk with high accuracy.

Amalraj, R., Er, G., Jentsch, M., Kitschke, F., Norz, M., Schäffer, P., & Beecks, C. (2024, August 30). Leveraging YOLO for real-time video analysis of animal welfare in slaughtering processes. Lecture Notes in Computer Science. German Conference on Artificial Intelligence 2024.

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Animal welfare and animal abuse, although measurable, exhibit a high degree of subjectivity that conditions how they are perceived and the level of sensitivity. Both elements are influenced by individual and sociodemographic factors. To determine the perception of animal welfare among veterinary students and to study the main sociodemographic factors influencing the assessment of animal welfare. To evaluate animal welfare perception at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, a 20-question survey was deployed via the Google Surveys platform. Distributed across all academic years, it was facilitated with QR codes located within the faculty premises. The data collection occurred from November 1, 2022, to November 30, 2022. A total of 223 students responded the questionnaire about perception of animal abuse, which represents 56.3% of the total enrollment in the academic year 2022–2023. Sensitivity to animal welfare, including academic training on how to respond to animal abuse, increased as students progressed through their studies. However, as students approached the end of their studies, they became less willing to make voluntary efforts. The profile of the veterinary student least sensitive to animal abuse appeared to be men without dogs who reside in rural habitats and have family members involved in hunting or fishing. We propose the implementation of intensive courses on animal welfare throughout the veterinary curriculum, along with an understanding of the veterinarian’s role in reporting animal abuse. This approach aims to foster a foundation of critical awareness and commitment to animals.

Henríquez-Hernández, L. A., Estévez-Pérez, L., Luzardo, O. P., & Zumbado, M. (2024). Perception of animal welfare and animal abuse among veterinary students: Role of individual and sociodemographic factors. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education.

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Purpose: A limited number of studies have aimed at understanding behavior towards animal welfare. However, there are indications that consumers make an important distinction between land animals and fish. As no studies have attempted to explain the factors that influence consumer behavior towards the welfare of fish, this study aims to explain the behavior using the value–belief–norm (VBN) model. In addition, we extend the model by using empathy as a factor influencing the formation of personal norms. This study argues that by adding empathy to the model, we will improve the ability of the VBN to explain moral behavior.

Design/methodology/approach: The study is based on survey data from 416 Norwegian consumers. A structural equation modeling analysis with latent constructs is used to test the hypotheses.

Findings: The findings validate the ability of the VBN model to explain consumer intention to buy products containing fish with better welfare. We also showed that empathy and beliefs strongly influence personal norms. The extended VBN model increased the explained variance of personal norm by 11,54%. Consumers with biospheric values are strongly likely to have empathetic feelings towards fish suffering and believe that fish can feel pain. However, consumers with hedonistic values are significantly negatively related to beliefs and empathy.

Practical implications: By understanding the role of empathy, companies can develop marketing strategies that appeal to consumers’ values, empathy and beliefs and ultimately encourage them to make purchases that support fish welfare.

Originality/value: Practically, this study explores consumers’ beliefs towards fish welfare and identifies consumers who are more likely to purchase products containing fish with better welfare based on their values.

Govaerts, F., & Altintzoglou, T. (2024). Consumer intention to buy products containing fish with better welfare: The role of empathy in an extended value–belief–norm model. British Food Journal.

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Aquaculture is transforming due to global food demand. Organic carp is a popular fish farmed in ponds, mostly by small and medium enterprises. This is associated with environmental and quality benefits, but also high costs and low production density. Despite being a large sector of food industry, the ethics of aquaculture slaughter methods are perceived as inferior. Implementing the least stressful killing method would ensure better welfare of fish. This study aimed to determine the most optimal strategy among commonly used and approved fish sacrificing techniques. To assess the level of stress experienced by fish, the following biochemical blood parameters were analysed: cortisol, glucose, lactic acid and cholesterol levels, as well as the activity of alkaline phosphatase, amylase, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase. In conclusion, slaughter methods used in the experiment involved three main stress factors: handling time, fish body damage and stunning method. After analysis, we would recommend percussion followed by brain destruction as the least stressful method.

Łosiewicz, B., & Szudrowicz, H. (2024). Impact of slaughter method on stress in organic common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Journal of Animal and Feed Sciences.

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China, the largest global food fish producer, primarily transports and sells fish live in domestic markets. However, live transport can compromise fish welfare due to the accumulation of stressful and injurious events. While animal welfare research in China mainly focuses on land animals, fish welfare has received limited attention. This PhD project investigated the welfare of farmed freshwater fish during live transport in China from both social science and animal welfare science perspectives.In the first research chapter, a qualitative study gathered preliminary information on live fish transport and explored welfare risks and stakeholder understanding of animal welfare. Semi-structured interviews with 12 Chinese aquaculture stakeholders revealed that live fish are frequently transported in sealed tanks or plastic bags using purpose-built vehicles. Water quality, stocking density, and journey duration were crucial factors in reducing transport-related mortality. While participants associated animal welfare with product quality and stress, they perceived it as more applicable to land animals than fish, highlighting the need for further investigation.The second research chapter, based on interview outcomes, surveyed 252 aquaculture industry stakeholders across 18 provinces in China. Results indicated that over three-quarters of freshwater fish are transported live, mainly in tanks. Dissolved oxygen, water temperature, and staff experience were critical factors in maintaining fish welfare. While nearly two-thirds of participants were unfamiliar with animal welfare, those with higher education levels were more aware of the term and associated fish welfare with product quality and safety.The third research chapter examined the effects of stocking density on largemouth bass welfare during simulated transport. Transport stress significantly increased physiological stress markers and fear-related behaviours, particularly at higher densities.The final research chapter studied the impact of motion frequencies on bass welfare. Simulated transport with different movement frequencies affected behaviour but had limited physiological impacts. This research highlighted welfare risks in live fish transport and underscored the importance of considering transport conditions to improve fish welfare in Chinese aquaculture.Overall, the concept of animal welfare is not fully understood within the Chinese aquaculture context, while stakeholders in the industry expressed concerns about fish welfare, particularly in its connection to product quality and safety. Transport-related factors, such as stocking density and road quality, can impair fish welfare, resulting in alterations in fish physiology and behaviour, as well as deterioration in water quality.

Yang, Y. (2024). The welfare of farmed freshwater fish during live transport, with a focus on the Chinese context [Doctoral dissertation].

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This study investigates the negative perceptions (veganphobia) held by consumers toward vegan diets and fashion and aims to foster a genuine acceptance of ethical veganism in consumption. The textual data web-crawled Korean online posts, including news articles, blogs, forums, and tweets, containing keywords such as “contradiction,” “dilemma,” “conflict,” “issues,” “vegan food” and “vegan fashion” from 2013 to 2021. Data analysis was conducted through text mining, network analysis, and clustering analysis using Python and NodeXL programs. The analysis revealed distinct negative perceptions regarding vegan food. Key issues included the perception of hypocrisy among vegetarians, associations with specific political leanings, conflicts between environmental and animal rights, and contradictions between views on companion animals and livestock. Regarding the vegan fashion industry, the eco-friendliness of material selection and design processes were seen as the pivotal factors shaping negative attitudes. Furthermore, the study identified a shared negative perception regarding vegan food and vegan fashion. This negativity was characterized by confusion and conflicts between animal and environmental rights, biased perceptions linked to specific political affiliations, perceived self-righteousness among vegetarians, and general discomfort toward them. These factors collectively contributed to a broader negative perception of vegan consumption. In conclusion, this study is significant in understanding the complex perceptions and attitudes that con- sumers hold toward vegan food and fashion. The insights gained from this research can aid in the design of more effective campaign strategies aimed at promoting vegan consumerism, ultimately contributing to a more widespread acceptance of ethical veganism in society.

Lee;, Y.-H. C. (2024). Exploring the phenomenon of veganphobia in vegan food and vegan fashion. The Research Journal of the Costume Culture.

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Abstract:

With increasing concerns about health, animal welfare, and the environment, changes in dietary patterns are emerging, as evidenced by the gradual shift toward plant-rich diets. To appropriately plan vegetarian meals with high consumer satisfaction that would help promote this dietary pattern and ultimately improve the sustainability of food systems, meal acceptability testing would be crucial. The present work aims to investigate the influence of individual food components’ acceptability on the overall meal acceptability in vegetarian diets. Over four taste-testing periods, 94 panelists of US nationality recruited from Cornell University staff (47 males and 47 females; 30–50 years of age) were asked to rate the acceptability of 41 vegetarian meals containing various food category items, including a main dish, side dish, appetizer, salad, soup, bread, dessert, beverage, and a control food. Each meal included six menu items to ensure the tested foods resembled a typical meal. Consequently, some meals lacked one or more of the nine total food categories. Participants were asked to rate the acceptability of the six meal items and the overall meal acceptability on a 9-point hedonic scale. Multiple imputation was used to fill in any missing data, and multiple linear regression analysis was then performed. Through this study, a model that predicts the overall meal acceptability of vegetarian diets based on individual meal category components was developed with an R-squared value of .7033, suggesting that around 70.33% of the variation in overall meal acceptability could be explained by the nine food category predictors. The findings also suggested that the most influential food item on overall meal acceptability was the main dish followed by the side dish. For every unit increase in the acceptability score of the main dish on a 9-point hedonic scale, the overall meal acceptability increased by 0.324 points. The positive findings would be beneficial to food service providers in designing a vegetarian meal with high meal acceptability. By focusing on optimizing the acceptability of these two key categories, menu planners can effectively elevate customers’ satisfaction of their meals.

Rajeh, C., Hunter, J. B., Levitsky, D. A., Zeineddine, M., Kharroubi, S. A., & Olabi, A. (2024). Modeling the acceptance of vegetarian diets to promote sustainable food systems. Food Science & Nutrition.

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This study aimed to address the concerns regarding sustainability and animal welfare that have led to egg shortages. By examining consumer adoption and purchase intention towards plant-based eggs as a viable alternative, this study identifies the key factors influencing consumer interest. The study integrates the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Value-Attitude-Behavior (VAB) frameworks. Data from 239 responses were collected through a questionnaire survey and analyzed using SPSS 27.0 and AMOS 28.0. The results highlight the significant impact of intrinsic food value and sensory appeal on purchase intention. Attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control mediate the relationship between food value and purchase intention. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for food industry professionals by enabling them to develop targeted strategies. Moreover, this study emphasizes plant-based eggs as a sustainable and health-conscious solution to egg shortages, thereby promoting overall industry sustainability.

Chen, H., Chao, C., & Lin, I. (2024). Addressing concerns about sustainability and animal welfare: Investigating consumers’ adoption and behavioral intention towards plant‐based eggs. Food Science & Nutrition.

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Lifestyle changes are recognized as an important part of climate change mitigation. The influence of climate concern on taking individual actions for climate mitigation is well studied; however, the impact that climate concern has on consumption-based carbon footprints (CBCFs) is less studied. We aim to address this gap by examining the relationship of pro-climate actions, climate motivation, and CBCFs. We utilize data from a carbon footprint calculator with around 8000 responses from residents of the Nordic region. Respondents reported their personal consumption over the past year and answered questions about their participation in pro-climate actions and whether they were motivated by reducing their CBCF. We found that the high-impact actions of avoiding meat and flying had the most impact on CBCFs and had the highest correlation with climate motivation; however, the engagement levels were low. Conversely, the actions with the most participation had a lower impact on CBCFs and correlated less with climate motivation. Although respondents who reported a higher engagement with pro-climate actions and a higher climate motivation generally had lower CBCFs, their footprints were still not compatible with 1.5-degree limits. This study highlights the gap between climate motivation and the level of engagement in high-impact actions necessary for climate-sustainable lifestyles.

Olson, S., Szafraniec, M., Heinonen, J., & Árnadóttir, Á. (2024). Concerned about climate change and ready to take action? An analysis of the pro-climate actions individuals are motivated to take to lower their carbon footprints. Sustainability, 16(16), 6755.

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Mitigating climate change (CC) and reversing biodiversity decline are urgent and interconnected global priorities. Strategies to address both crises must consider the relationships, synergies and trade-offs between key response measures, including sustainable production and consumption patterns, protected areas (PAs) and climate mitigation policy (CP). In this paper, we review a large set of scenarios (n = 96) from the Integrated Model to Assess the Global Environment (IMAGE) describing future development of land use, greenhouse gas emissions and their impact on CC and biodiversity. We calculate the global mean temperature increase (GMTI) and the Mean Species Abundance (MSA) of plants, a metric indicative of local terrestrial biodiversity intactness. The set includes scenarios with and without specific CP to address CC, PA for biodiversity and demand and supply sustainability measures such as increased energy efficiency and reduced meat consumption. Our findings indicate that scenarios with integrated measures can prevent biodiversity loss at the global scale, yet with clear regional differences. By 2050, 15 out of 30 (50%) scenarios with at least 30% of global land as PAs show positive MSA changes in grasslands and tropical non-forests (Grass & TnF), but only 1 (3%) does so in tropical forests (TF). We demonstrate that pasture and food/feed crops are the main drivers of MSA loss in Grass & TnF and that scenarios with high levels of PAs prevent land conversion and increase biodiversity. By 2100, 28 out of 46 (60%) scenarios with mitigation measures to restrict CC to 2 °C or less in 2100 result in positive MSA changes in TF, but only 13 (28%) do so in Grass & TnF, reflecting the larger impacts of land use change in the latter region. These results underscore the importance of time and regionally-tailored approaches to address the biodiversity and CC crises.

Ambrósio, G., Doelman, J. C., Schipper, A. M., Stehfest, E., & van Vuuren, D. (2024). Global sustainability scenarios lead to regionally different outcomes for terrestrial biodiversity. Environmental Research Letters, 19(10), 104055.

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Amidst a rapid social change towards greater environmental awareness, organisations have increasingly sought to exaggerate the environmental characteristics of their product, as a strategy in meeting consumer demand. Regardless of a minority’s pure intention to offer their consumers an ‘eco-friendly option,’ many organisations have exploited this consumption shift for their own benefit, adopting the practice of ‘greenwashing’ within their business models. Sparked by the establishment of a Senate Inquiry into greenwashing, this article will explore how exaggerated environmental claims within Australia’s meat and seafood industries impact consumers. Subsequently, drawing on consumer behaviours and theories to identify the polarising relationship between industry and shoppers when a gap in product information is formed. Further, through the perspective of consumer protection, this article draws on the misleading and deceptive conduct of our modern organisations, prompting an analysis of the success of our regulatory bodies in preventing the effects of greenwashing. Whilst greenwashing has long existed, the growing presence of false or misleading environmental claims demands the attention of our policymakers now. This article suggests we already have the necessary tools within our existing legal mechanisms, we must now put them into action to promote stronger deterrence against greenwashing.

Devitt, I. (2024). Greenwashing in the meat and seafood industry. University of South Australia Law Review, 6, 21.

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Adolescents in Germany eat fewer animal products than their parents, often for sustainability reasons. We investigated how adolescents differ from their parents’ generation in sustainability food-choice motives, consumption of animal products, and corresponding behaviors such as advocating for and influencing decisions towards more sustainable family meals. In an online questionnaire, an educationally diverse sample of 500 adolescents (M = 17.9 years, range = 15–20) and 500 adults of their parents’ generation (M = 52.2 years, range = 45–60) reported food-choice motives, their own and their family’s diet style, how they advocate for sustainable food decisions at family meals (e.g., less meat), and how they influence different steps in family meal planning (e.g., grocery shopping). The two generations did not differ in sustainable food motives and mean consumption frequency of meat and animal products, but adolescents reported three times more often than their parents’ generation to never eat meat. At shared family meals they advocated for eating plant-based substitutes (d = 0.27, p < 0.001) and other animal products (β = −0.15, p = 0.02) more often than their parents’ generation, but not for eating less meat. Adolescents advocated more frequently for sustainable food decisions at shared meals the more important sustainability motives were to them (β = 0.53, p < 0.001), and the less meat (β = −0.35, p < 0.001) and fewer other animal products (β = −0.11, p = 0.015) they consumed. Adolescents motivated towards sustainability have the potential to impact the family’s dietary choices through reverse socialization processes. These findings challenge current theories that suggest only parents influence their children, neglecting the role of adolescents as potential agents of change for improved family and planetary health.

Knobl, V., & Mata, J. (2024). Intersecting perspectives: Advocating for sustainable family meals across generations. Appetite, 201, 107618.

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The 2023 Mexican Healthy and Sustainable Dietary Guidelines (HSDG 2023) were developed to include all dimensions of sustainability. Here we compare the environmental impact and cost of diets based on the HSDG 2023, current diets and the Mexican-adapted EAT healthy reference diet. Diets following HSDG 2023 are 21% less expensive, require 30% less land to be produced and have 34% less carbon emissions than current diets—particularly in Mexico City and other urban areas with higher prevalence of Westernized diets. This is driven by reduced animal-source food, especially red meat, and ultra-processed foods. In south–rural areas, the water footprint and cost of diets following HSDG 2023 were higher than those of current diets owing to increased intake of nuts, fruits and vegetables not offset by lower meat consumption (which is already close to recommendations). Diet environmental impact and cost could be further reduced with the Mexican-adapted EAT healthy reference diet compared with the HSDG 2023.

Unar-Munguía, M., Cervantes-Armenta, M. A., Rodríguez-Ramírez, S., Bonvecchio Arenas, A., Fernández Gaxiola, A. C., & Rivera, J. A. (2024). Mexican national dietary guidelines promote less costly and environmentally sustainable diets. Nature Food, 5(8), 703–713.

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The reduction of meat consumption in health systems is a high-impact pathway for healthcare decarbonization. Effects including changes in greenhouse gas emissions are rarely calculated following interventions, such as the implementation of plant-forward menus in hospitals, and the results of these changes are rarely published in peer-reviewed literature. In this perspective, we discuss the decarbonization outcomes of plant-rich dietary shifts across five health systems worldwide, gathered from peer-reviewed and gray literature. In each case, the implementation of a plant-rich approach reduced food-related greenhouse gas emissions. Health co-benefits are also commonly reported. The measurement of greenhouse gas emissions of plant-rich dietary shifts in future health system interventions is encouraged, with the results published in peer-reviewed journals.

Wyma, N., & Niesing, C. (2024). Perspectives on healthcare decarbonization through plant-rich dietary shifts: Cases from the US, Austria and Taiwan. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 8.

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Since the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (2006) identified the livestock sector’s contribution to global climate emissions as 18%, the production and consumption of meat and dairy has been increasingly framed as a climate issue. Yet, whilst environmental NGOs were hesitant to campaign, celebrities and social media influencers have advocated for the climate, animal and health benefits of veganism, helping to mainstream it over the last 5-10 years. Placing critical attention on celebrities’ and social media influencers’ promotion of veganism and meat and dairy reduction practices, this chapter explores the socio-cultural conditions supporting celebrities’ emergence as cultural communicators of veganism and climate change; examines how meat and dairy reduction/elimination is discursively communicated, and veganism as an ethical identity is reframed in this process; and considers the socio-political implications of the celebritisation and mainstreaming of veganism or ‘plant-based’ diets for climate action. In doing so, the chapter introduces feminist and antiracist definitions of veganism; examines early celebrity vegan work on climate advocacy; discusses theories of celebrification, promotional culture and commodification; and explores recent research on celebrity veganism and vegan influencers. Offering directions for future research, it argues for an inclusive vegan future that addresses systemic inequalities underpinning the climate crisis.

Doyle, J. (2024). Promoting veganism: The cultural role of celebrities and influencers in the reframing of meat and dairy as a climate issue. In A. Anderson & C. Howarth (Eds.), Handbook of climate crisis communication. Routledge.

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Abstract:

The emerging field of prospective life cycle assessment (pLCA) offers opportunities for evaluating the environmental impacts of possible future consumption shifts. One such shift involves a transition from meat-based to plant-forward diets, acknowledged to mitigate environmental impacts of the food system under present day conditions. Current diets are often meat intensive (“meat-based”), whilst “plant-forward” diets include mainly plant-based foods, encompassing flexitarian, vegetarian, and vegan diets. Here we illustrate the application of pLCA in a case study of meal options, implementing shared socio-economic pathway scenarios in the LCA background system to represent future production conditions. We assess the climate footprints and land-based biodiversity footprints of a typical meat-based meal in Germany and Indonesia compared to a plant-forward meal in both countries (i.e., four meals), now and in 2050. Our findings show that the plant-forward alternative maintains a lower impact per serving in all future scenarios. At the same time, the reduction in impact for the meat-based meals is more pronounced in future scenarios due to shifts in the agricultural system. Our findings highlight the importance of supply-side measures to produce lower-impact ingredients, complementing demand-side interventions to reshape food consumption. Results are further evaluated in cultural and nutritional contexts, highlighting the practical decision-making constraints faced by consumers. We find potential “leakage” effects in calories and nutrition when choosing a lower-impact, plant-forward meal. These leakage effects should be considered in future studies seeking to evaluate the environmental implications of meal substitutions in the context of broader dietary requirements.

Marquardt, S. G., Joyce, P. J., Rigarlsford, G., Dötsch‐Klerk, M., van Elk, K., Doelman, J., Daioglou, V., Huijbregts, M. A. J., & Sim, S. (2024). Prospective life cycle assessment of climate and biodiversity impacts of meat‐based and plant‐forward meals: A case study of Indonesian and German meal options. Journal of Industrial Ecology.

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Abstract:

This research evaluated the environmental impact of food consumption in Germany, using data from the German National Nutrition Survey II (2005-2007). In this sample of 12,915 German adults, the average meat consumption was 127.7 grams/day. On days when individuals consumed meat, their diets had higher greenhouse gas emissions at 6.3 kg CO2-eq/day, compared with 4.1 kg CO2-eq/day on days without meat. Similarly, land use was higher on days with meat consumption, reaching 7.6 m²·year/day, compared to 4.2 m²·year/day on days without meat. If individuals replaced meat with alternatives such as legumes, nuts, seeds, eggs, and meat analogues in their daily diets, their dietary greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by 1.6 kg CO2-eq/day (a 23.9% decrease), while land use could be reduced by 2.1 m²·year/day (a 23.4% decrease). Therefore, lowering meat consumption in Germany has the potential to reduce the environmental impact of food consumption.

Duan, F. M. J., Daas, M. C., van’t Veer, P., & Biesbroek, S. (2024). The potential for reducing environmental footprints by substituting meat for alternatives in the German diet. Wageningen University & Research.

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Abstract:

This exploratory study assessed the role of message framing for predicting future intentions to reduce meat consumption. Participants (n = 376) completed a questionnaire assessing eating habits and personal attachment to meat. Individuals were then randomly exposed to four separate framing conditions. Operationalized as Public Service Announcement-style advertisements, participants were informed of the inhumane conditions of the meat and dairy industry. These advertisements were tailored to examine the role of perceived gains (benefits of meat reduction) or losses (consequences of meat consumption) in one’s moral character. In addition to framing effects, variables such as gender and meat attachment were included to predict future meat reduction intentions. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) indicated that meat attachment reduced intentions to curb meat consumption. Controlling for meat attachment, main effects were present for framing condition. Gender and gain frames interacted to positively predict dietary intentions following message exposure. Women exposed to gain frames were more likely than men to report intentions to reduce meat intake in favor of plant-based options. However, no gender difference was present for participants exposed to loss frames, which had no effect on eating intentions regardless of gender. The discussion highlights the role of both gender and meat-eating identity coupled with situational factors (i.e., message frames) for reducing meat intake. Such insights offer opportunities for key stakeholders, such as policymakers and animal welfare advocates, to leverage these effects for dietary change.

Couture, A., & Loughnan, S. (2024). Heroes and villains: Message frames, gender, and meat attachment as predictors of meat reduction intentions. Anthrozoös, 1–20.

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Plant-based food refers to a diet focused on consuming primarily plant-derived ingredients for health, environmental, and ethical reasons. Since there is a growing recognition regarding the significant correlation between sustainable consumption and consumers’ political inclinations, this study aimed to identify effective ways to promote plant-based food in a restaurant setting by analyzing the relative persuasiveness of advertisements in terms of three variables: consumer political orientation (liberal vs. conservative), regulatory focus (promotion vs. prevention), and message type (health vs. taste). This study confirms that there is a significant two-way effect between political orientation and regulatory focus on consumers’ attitude and purchase intentions toward plant-based food. Additionally, this two-way effect between political orientation and regulatory focus varies depending on the type of message. The mediating role of goal relevance was confirmed as well. The study provides implications for effective marketing communication in the context of plant-based food promotion in the foodservice industry.

Shao, X., & Jeong, E. (Lena). (2024). Politics and dinner tables do mix! Exploring the role of consumers’ political orientation in plant-based food promotion at restaurants. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 122, 103874.

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Abstract:

Default options can be effective behavioural nudges in various contexts. Re-designing restaurant menus with vegetarian options as the default can be a promising route to reduce meat consumption. However, it is not yet clear whether the default also works when customers do not know what specific menu items they receive, as is the case in surprise menus. Furthermore, we question whether the effectiveness of a vegetarian default on an individual’s choice for a vegetarian dish can be further strengthened when the default mechanism is deployed together with other strong intervention mechanisms: price incentives and imposed effort.

In a real-life field experiment, we tested the effectiveness of the default for a Chef’s Menu where consumers only know that the dish is vegetarian or that it contains meat or fish. Moreover, we tested the effect of the default together with either a supplemental price needed to be paid for the meat option, or an increase in the effort to switch to the alternative meat options (making them less easy to order compared to the vegetarian option). Analyses of the sales data show that significantly more vegetarian options were ordered in the weeks that the vegetarian dish was the default. However, neither the price incentive nor the increased effort seemed to strengthen the original default effects. The current study shows the strength of a default intervention, also in the case of a surprise menu, and provides insights for practitioners to maximize the effectiveness of a default.

Reinders, M. J., Bouwman, E. P., & Onwezen, M. C. (2024). Reducing meat consumption in restaurants: Exploring the default mechanism in a surprise menu, combined with effort and price incentives. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 98, 102402.

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Fighting the climate crisis requires changing many aspects of our consumption habits. Previous studies show that a first pro-environmental action can lead to another. But does this spillover effect persist when nudges foster the initial action? We model the mechanisms leading nudges to alter such behavioural spillovers in a simple utility maximisation framework. In an online experiment (n=2775), we test if encouraging vegetarianism with a social norm nudge alters environmental donations, a non-targeted climate-friendly action. The nudge is effective in increasing intentions to choose vegetarian food. Using machine learning, we find that a subgroup drives this effect. Using an instrumental variable embedded in the design, we find causal evidence of a positive spillover effect: choosing vegetarian food increases donations. However, the nudge crowds out this spillover effect for the subgroup identified with machine learning. Our results suggest that social norm nudges are effective but crowd out people’s willingness to do more.

Picard, J., & Banerjee, S. (2024). Unpacking the side effects of social norm nudges.

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The protein shift, or transition, entails a reduction in the production and consumption of animal-source foods, and an increase in plant-based foods and alternative proteins, at a global level. The shift is primarily motivated by the need to minimise the impact of the food system on social-ecological systems. We argue that rather than focusing singularly on transitioning a ‘protein gap’ in diets, redressing the ‘justice gap’ is a prerequisite for transformative change in food systems. In this context the justice gap is understood as the gap delineating those who have access to just food systems and those who do not. To substantiate our argument a justice lens is used to analyse the political–economic dimensions of such a transformation and to propose that the future of protein must engage with three core elements to be transformative—disruption, innovation and redistribution. Disruption entails challenging both the food trends that encourage the ‘meatification’ of diets, and the influence of ‘Big Meat’ in perpetuating these trends. Innovation emphasises that true novelty is found by designing justice into practices and processes, rather than by firing alternative protein silver bullets within existing food system paradigms. Redistribution stresses that food system redesign is predicated upon establishing fair shares for remaining protein budgets, using approaches anchored in contextual specificity and positionality. Through the application of a justice framework, we expose existing food system injustices related to production and consumption of protein, invite discussion on how such injustices can be addressed and reflect on implications for food system transformations. By reshaping the crux of the protein debate around the more salient concern of the justice gap, food system transformation can take shape.

Baudish, I., Sahlin, K. R., Béné, C., Oosterveer, P., Prins, H., & Pereira, L. (2024). Power & protein: Closing the ‘justice gap’ for food system transformation. Environmental Research Letters, 19(8), 084058.

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Recently, the alternative meat (food) market is growing rapidly due to the increase in meat consumption due to global population growth and income improvement, as well as issues such as equal welfare, carbon neutrality, and sustainability. The government is also developing a green bio convergence new industry development plan to foster alternative foods, but there are difficulties in commercialization due to the lack of technology and insufficient production facilities among domestic small and medium-sized enterprises, so it is necessary to build joint utilization facilities and equipment to resolve the difficulties faced by companies. am. In addition, small and medium-sized enterprises are having difficulty developing and commercializing plant-based meat substitutes due to a lack of technical skills, and related equipment is expensive, making it difficult to build equipment on their own. Accordingly, Jeollabuk-do is pursuing a strategy to secure the source technology for development, processing, and industrialization of plant-based substitute meat at the level of developed countries by establishing a plant-based alternative meat industrialization center. In this study, an economic feasibility analysis study was conducted when a plant-based alternative meat industrialization center is built in Jeollabuk-do. As a result of the analysis, B/C=1.32, NPV=374 million won, and IRR=4.8%, showing that there is economic feasibility in establishing an alternative meat industrialization center. In addition, as a result of analyzing the regional economic ripple effect resulting from the establishment of an industrialization center, if 38 billion won is invested in Jeollabuk-do, the nationwide production inducement effect is 74 billion won, the added value inducement effect is 29.8 billion won, and the employment inducement effect is 672 people. 

Shin, Y. K., Lee, S. Y., & Joo, J. C. (2024). Economic feasibility analysis study to build a plant-based alternative meat industrialization center. Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research.

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Transformation in food systems poses new opportunities for improving environmental sustainability and reducing the use of farmed animals. Discussions about transforming current food systems have been centered mostly on replacing animal source proteins with plant-based alternatives and about how to minimize food waste and loss. Products from cellular agriculture are part of a novel food transition and are presented as new, sustainable alternatives for animal source proteins. However, justice and equity narratives in food system transition discussions concerning cellular agriculture are rare. The aim of this study is to address how cellular agriculture may contribute to a just food system transition and to evaluate the prospects of such foods on this planet by reviewing narratives of cellular agriculture in 36 scientific articles. The data were analyzed using a justice transition framework. The results show that cellular agriculture has a potential to contribute to improving environmental sustainability if developers take justice into account as an important factor. Concerns are that cellular agriculture has the potential to be an exclusive food and may introduce regional variances exacerbating inequalities within the food system. We contribute to the discussion of just food system transitions by highlighting the importance of justice considerations in the context of cellular agriculture. Key aspects include the need for fair distribution along the value chain, global access to cellular agriculture benefits, and the recognition of social transformations in technological solutions. Additionally, transparent decision-making, open data access, and capacity building for stakeholders emerge as critical elements for fostering equitable and sustainable development in cellular agriculture.

Moritz, J., Mazac, R., Ueta, M. H., Räty, N., Tuomisto, H. L., & Ryynänen, T. (2024). Prospects of justice for cellular agriculture: A just transition or reinvesting in unsustainability? Food Ethics, 9(2), 22.

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For as long as sustainable food systems have been on the global agenda, the meaning of ‘sustainable’ has been hotly debated. Discussing the use and abuse of the term sustainability in the food-system context, we select a specific case to illustrate this discussion, examine various sustainability arguments and propose ways forward for reduced meat aligned with local values and global needs. A contextual, transparent and nuanced debate can avoid policies informed by vested interests and straw-man arguments, which can backfire and hurt many of the very interests that the sector and policies aim to protect.

van Oort, B., Daloz, A. S., Andrew, R., Farstad, F. M., Guillen-Royo, M., Hermansen, E. A. T., Holmelin, N. B., Kallbekken, S., Orlov, A., Sillmann, J., Skagen, K., & Ytreberg, N. S. (2024). Ruminating on sustainable food systems in a net-zero world. Nature Sustainability.

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The shift towards reduced consumption of animal-based products, referred to as the protein transition, is increasingly viewed as an opportunity to drive sustainable food systems transformations. Here we explore three central paradoxes of the protein transition. The first underscores the focus on substituting animal proteins with alternative sources, rather than reducing overall protein consumption. The second focuses on the search for new protein sources, rather than tackling overconsumption and overproduction. The third involves the continued export of animal proteins from Europe, a practice defended under the guise of food security, efficiency and comparative advantage. These narratives dominate public discourse, justifying existing production and consumption patterns, shaping perceptions and influencing decisions and policies that impact the future direction of our food systems. Given the influence of stakeholders’ narratives in the transition, we advocate for a holistic and systemic perspective that transcends isolated and quick-fix solutions to foster coherent strategies to advance the protein transition.

Duluins, O., & Baret, P. V. (2024). The paradoxes of the protein transition maintain existing animal production and consumption systems. Nature Food.

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The analysis by GFI and Highland Economics describes the land use efficiency and restoration opportunities of diversifying American protein sources with alternative proteins to help achieve U.S. climate and biodiversity goals.

The Good Food Institute, & Highland Economics. (2024). Transforming land use: Alternative proteins for U.S. climate and biodiversity success. The Good Food Institute.

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Children morally prioritize humans over animals less than adults do. Is this because children are less speciesist—that is, they give less moral weight to mere species membership? Or is it because children give less weight to differences in intelligence between humans and other animals? We investigated this question in two experiments that presented children and adult participants in the U.S. and Spain with moral trade-off dilemmas. These dilemmas featured individuals varying in species membership (human vs. monkey) and intelligence. In both cultures, we found that children’s weaker tendency to prioritize humans over animals persisted even when the animal was described as having the same or even greater intelligence levels than the human. We also found that both children and adults tended to prioritize individuals based on increased intelligence levels—an effect that was more robust in adults than children. Overall, our research shows that both perceived intelligence and species membership influence moral concern, with the relative importance of these factors changing over the course of development.

Caviola, L., Wilks, M., Suárez Yera, C., Allen, C., Kahane, G., McGuire, L., Faber, N. S., Rojas Tejada, A. J., Sánchez Castelló, M., Ordóñez Carrasco, J. L., & Bloom, P. (2024). Why do children care more about animals than adults do?

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This paper argues that existing human-animal relations contribute to the pressing socio-ecological crises of our time, and therefore, they should be discussed in the context of Sustainable Development. This holds true even from a purely anthropocentric perspective, as these crises are threats to humans. However, sentient nonhuman animals possess interests as well and should be included in the moral community. Therefore, ignoring their interests in Sustainable Development is falling short. Furthermore, the paper argues that the anthropocentric perspective of Sustainable Development is flawed because the normative foundations of Sustainable Development (intra- and intergenerational justice) can be convincingly applied to nonhuman animals. According to approaches of interspecies justice, the normative foundations of Sustainable Development not merely can but should be applied to nonhuman animals. The paper argues for including nonhuman animals into the scope of justice and, therefore, in a theory of Sustainable Development. What such inclusion means at the practical level is examined in the last section of the paper, which investigates a field of application important for transforming societies into more sustainable ones, namely energy systems. This last section discusses how more sustainable, more animal-friendly energy systems would look like.

Bossert, L. N. (2024). Interspecies justice within a normative sustainable development framework: Animal-friendly energy systems as a test case. Journal of Agricultural & Environmental Ethics, 37(3), 14.

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In modern Western societies, consumers are often disconnected from the animal origins of meat, which facilitates meat consumption by reducing empathy towards animals, and feelings of disgust and guilt. Conversely, animal advocates may appeal to meat’s animal origins to evoke moral emotions that discourage meat consumption. This preregistered study investigated the effectiveness of such meat-animal reminders with 421 meat-eating participants. Participants were randomly exposed to one of three experimental conditions: an image of a pork chop without animal reminder (control condition), an image of a pork chop paired with a human petting a pig (animal caring appeal) or a human stunning a pig before slaughter (animal cruelty appeal). Based on harm-based accounts of moral judgment, we measured moral emotions oriented to the pig victim (e.g., empathy, sadness), the human perpetrator (e.g., anger, disgust) and the self (e.g., guilt, shame), and examined their effects on participants’ willingness for dietary change and tendency to justify pork-eating. We found that both animal appeals (vs. control) increased moral emotions, indirectly decreasing pork-eating justification and increasing willingness for dietary change. The animal cruelty appeal seemed particularly effective by evoking perpetrator- and victim-oriented emotions. However, we also found evidence of counteractive effects on pork-eating justification and willingness to change once moral emotions are controlled for, suggesting moral disengagement and resistance to change. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

Fonseca, R. P., & De Groeve, B. (2024). ‘Meating’ the animal and moral emotions exploring animal caring and cruelty appeals for dietary change.

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Abstract:

This month’s Faunalytics Index provides facts and stats about behavioral nudges to reduce meat consumption, the bison in yellowstone park, shelter volunteer satisfaction, and more.

orzechowski, karol. (2024, August). Faunalytics Index August 2024.

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In India, the rise of right-wing politics in the form of what Sahana Udupa terms ‘enterprise Hindutva’ has triggered conflicting reactions to everyday incidents, highlighting the need for a new language to address unique problems faced by vegans and animal rights activists whose politics clash with Hindutva’s anti-secular discourse. ‘Sacred animals’ as a conceptual framework provides an important entry point into the culturally specific socio-political tensions behind complexities that limit the possibilities of viable intersectional standpoints that engage animal rights activism and political veganism. From a postsecular perspective, the relevance and unique challenges of these movements in India are evaluated, noting that existing posthumanist theories fail to address these new issues adequately. Incidents of mob lynching and violence by the cow vigilantes are recontextualized as structural symptoms instead of sporadic occurrences. The backlash against rightist tendencies has given a critical validation to irrational disregard for political veganism and animal rights activism, based on their perceived alignment with right-wing ideology. Examining food politics around beef, mockery of vegetarianism, and everyday situations where ‘veg’ becomes a tag of inferior quality, this study challenges unfounded associations and assumptions that undermine the disruptive potential of animal rights activism.

Shankar, D. (2024). Of sacred animals: the limits of animal rights activism and political veganism in India. Culture, Theory and Critique, 1–17.

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Agriculture is the fourth largest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the United States, and agriculture is the largest national source of methane emissions in particular. Yet regulators have paid far less attention to emissions from agriculture than from transportation and electricity, the top two sources of GHG emissions nationally. This Article seeks to put the idea of a meat tax on the agenda of scholars and climate policymakers as a tool for reducing GHG emissions from agriculture. Drawing on scholarship and policy proposals from other jurisdictions, where discussions of taxing meat are further advanced, this Article identifies key issues that would need to be addressed to design a meat tax that could be implemented in the United States. It also recommends an iterative modelling process to devise concrete proposals for an equitable meat tax that would reduce agricultural GHG emissions. A meat tax could be one tool in a basket of policy measures designed to reduce emissions from agriculture. In addition, reducing human consumption of meat would have the ancillary benefits of improving human health and animal welfare, as well as the environment.

Dietz, E., & Wyman, K. (2024). Designing a “Made in America” meat tax. SSRN Electronic Journal.

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The European Union is not doing enough to protect farm animal welfare—at least, so say animal rights activists and their fellow travelers. Earlier this year, the E.U. Parliament approved a report that will guide future E.U. legislation on farm animal welfare. Among other critics, Olga Kikou, head of the advocacy group Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), lambasted the report as “a text that reads as if it was written 50 years ago, that pays no attention to the cruelty, health risks and environmental damage caused by the factory farming system that prevails today.”The definitions of “factory farm” vary, but the common characteristic, which underlies the concerns raised by Kikou, is intensive confinement: housing animals in very tight quarters. Animals raised in these conditions often develop physical health problems. Living in such cramped, barren environments also causes the animals to experience stress, which is associated with harmful behavior amongst the animals, like tail biting in pigs and feather pecking in hens. Livestock often undergo mutilation to prevent the aforementioned behaviors: pigs have their tails “docked” (amputated) and hens have their beaks “trimmed” (partial removal). These are both painful and traumatic procedures.As Kikou noted, factory farms also create environmental problems. The animals on these farms produce a lot of waste, which is not used as crop fertilizer (as it is in traditional farming operations). Instead, that waste often ends up in fetid “storage lagoons” that produce air-polluting gases like methane and ammonia. There is also some evidence that the emission of particulate matter and suspended dust from factory farms can increase asthma in neighboring communities and cause asthma and bronchitis in workers on the farms.Suffice it to say, E.U. activists have good cause to be alarmed by the continued existence of factory farms. But as I elaborate below, history has shown that legislation passed by the central E.U. Parliament can be a flawed vehicle for achieving farm animal welfare reform in a timely fashion. Moving forward, activists should consider focusing their efforts on getting individual E.U. member states to pass animal welfare laws that create powerful economic incentives for farmers across the E.U. to meet their standards. In short, they should try to harness the California Effect.In the past, the Golden State has excelled in what Professor David Vogel of U.C. Berkeley’s Haas School of Business has described as “the upward ratcheting” of national regulatory standards through market mechanisms. This strategy has successfully been deployed in areas like product labeling, data privacy, and vehicle emissions. More recently, California has sought to do the same with regard to farm animal welfare standards, passing a ballot initiative—Proposition 12 (“Prop 12”)—and promulgating accompanying regulations that largely prohibit the sale of eggs, pork, and veal in the state unless the seller can show that the products came from animals raised per California’s specifications.Although one of the E.U.’s foundational treaties generally prevents Member States from creating such restrictions on trade with other Member States, this Essay argues that a farm animal welfare law mimicking California’s Prop 12 would be legal under an exception for laws regarding public morality.

Gonzalez, J. (2024). Ditch the directives and make like California: The path to improved conditions for E.U. farm animals does not begin in Brussels. The University of Chicago Law Review.

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The expanding field of public acceptance consistently shows left-leaning ideology as a predictor of support for many climate policy instruments. However, little work has been done to investigate the indirect links between ideology and policy-specific beliefs like perceived fairness, effectiveness and infringement on personal freedom on policy acceptance. Of this work, none pertain specifically to taxes that target greenhouse gas emissions from food consumption, called climate-motivated food taxes (CMF tax). CMF taxes are useful for studying the factors underlying ideology because they intersect with changing personal behaviour, which especially triggers ideological concerns. Moreover, CMF taxes appear to be an effective way to curb emissions stemming from the production of animal products, primarily beef and dairy, which are responsible for nearly a third of global emissions. Lastly, this study provides insight into how the predictability of ideological effects on policy acceptance differs in countries also beyond those classically studied (such as the USA and countries in Europe) by utilizing survey data collected in 2023 from Brazil, Germany, India, South Africa, Sweden and the USA (N = 10,513). We find direct and indirect links between ideology and policy acceptability, where fairness and effectiveness beliefs about policies mediate more of the effect than beliefs about freedom.

Jagers, S. C., Harring, N., & Matti, S. (2024). Impact of ideology on individuals’ attitudes to a climate-motivated tax on food. Climate Policy, 1–14.

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Sonoma County, California, could become the first U.S. county to ban factory farms. It all depends on whether Measure J gets more than 50% ‘Yes’ votes on the ballot this November 5th.

King, C. (2024). Will Sonoma County, California’s Measure J set a precedent for stopping factory farms? Faunalytics.

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The present study examined changes in the rates of vegetarianism among a sample of young American adults. Over 15 years, students at an American university (N = 12,704) described their dietary habits. Multilevel modeling analyses (participants nested within semesters) found that overall, the percentage of vegetarians increased over time, whereas the percentage of omnivores decreased over time; however, these changes occurred only for women. The dietary habits of men did not change over time. In a second study, in a sample of 363 adult vegetarians from the US, we found that women were more likely than men to become vegetarians due to concerns about the ethics of raising animals for food and eating them, suggesting that increased societal concern about animal rights may be responsible in part for the gender differences over time in vegetarianism. These results extend existing research on gender differences and suggest that if current trends continue, gender differences in vegetarianism may be more pronounced in the future.

Nezlek, J. B., & Forestell, C. A. (2024). Recent increases in vegetarianism may be limited to women: A 15-year study of young adults at an American University. Sex Roles.

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Background: Interest in plant-based eating has increased alongside increased variety and availability of highly processed plant-based meat and dairy alternatives. The impact of the shifting commercial landscape and public interest in plant-based eating on dietary intake is unknown.

Objectives: To examine trends in the consumption and composition of plant-based diets in the United States adults.

Methods: Serial cross-sectional data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used to assess trends in the proportion of United States adults aged ≥20 y consuming a plant-based diet (defined as ≥50% total protein from plants on a 24-h dietary recall) from 1999–2000 to 2017–March 2020 (n = 51,698). Trends in processing level (percentage energy intake from ultraprocessed foods) and diet quality [Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2020 scores] were assessed in the subset of adults consuming plant-based diets (n = 8327).

Results: The proportion of United States adults consuming plant-based diets increased from 14.4% (95% CI: 12.9%, 16.0%) to 17.2% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 15.5%, 19.1%; P = 0.005 for trend). In all survey cycles, ultraprocessed foods accounted for the majority of energy intake, and ultraprocessed food intake in plant-based diets did not significantly change over time [50.7% kcal (95% CI: 47.3%, 54.1%) in 1999–2000 compared with 52.7% kcal (95% CI: 49.7%, 55.6%) in 2017–March 2020; P for trend = 0.34]. The quality of plant-based diets, measured by HEI-2020 scores, improved from 52.1 (95% CI: 49.7, 54.6) to 55.8 (95% CI: 54.1, 57.5; P for trend <0.001).

Conclusions: Between 1999 and March 2020, the proportion of United States adults consuming a plant-based diet increased. Among people consuming plant-based diets, ultraprocessed foods contributed most to energy intake and there was no sustained change in intake over time. The mean diet quality was low but improved modestly.

Sullivan, V. K., Martínez-Steele, E., Garcia-Larsen, V., & Rebholz, C. M. (2024). Trends in plant-based diets among United States Adults, 1999-March 2020. The Journal of Nutrition.

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