According to a recent publication*, a survey conducted by Rutgers, Columbia and Cornell University in collaboration with the International Food Policy Research Institute reported on the motivators for selection of meat products based on perceived attributes. A sample of 1,224 U.S. adults conducted in 2021 clearly demonstrated the value of quality and taste with health intermediate but revealing indifference towards environmental sustainability and animal welfare.
The study was conducted to rank motivators determining purchase to ascertain whether reducing meat consumption could benefit the environment.
The significant motivators and their relative rankings were:-
- Environmental Sustainability 29%
Among those rating environmental sustainability, 30% characterized the attribute as “not very important” and 36% “somewhat important”. Among the respondents rating animal welfare, 36% regarded the attribute as “not very important” and 32% as “somewhat important”.
Among participants in the survey, 78 percent consumed red meat one to four times per week and 79 served poultry with the proportions influenced by socioeconomic status. There was a trend towards reducing red meat with 70% declaring lower consumption as opposed to 34% reducing poultry intake. This may reflect either health considerations or cost given the availability of both categories of animal-derived proteins in U.S. supermarkets. Considerations of environmental sustainability and animal welfare were less important motivators in reducing meat intake.
Principal investigator, Dr. Shauna Downs of the Rutgers School of Public Health stated, “Our findings suggest that messaging focused solely on sustainability may not resonate with U.S. consumers regarding their meat choices.”
*Downs, S. et al Sustainability considerations are not influencing meat consumption in the U.S. Appetite. 203: December 1, 2024, doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2024.207667