Harvesting insights to increase UK consumers’ awareness and acceptance of alternative proteins

The UK agri-food sector faces significant challenges in the context of climate change and the need to achieve net zero targets. The production and consumption of animal-based protein has been identified as a significant contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, land degradation, and competes for water resources. As a result, alternative protein sources, such as plant-based and cultured meat, edible microalgae and insects, have gained attention as potential solutions to reduce the environmental impact of the agri-food sector. Without consumer buy-in, the potential of alternative protein to contribute to meeting net zero targets remains limited.

Therefore, this project aims to provide the foundation for a better understanding of consumer preferences, attitudes, and behaviours regarding alternative protein. This understanding is essential for developing effective strategies to increase the consumption of more sustainable foods and transition the agri-food system toward a net-zero future.

Project lead: Toritseju Begho, Scotland’s Rural College

Project members: Pete Ritchie, Nourish Scotland; Wisdom Dogbe, University of Aberdeen

Findings from the project

1. The discourse on dietary shift to more meat alternatives in the UK aligns with the country’s net zero objectives.
2. What kind of meat, how much of it, and where it was sourced, was associated with consumers’ particular social identities. Their choices expressed how much they knew and cared about environmental sustainability and the food system, the ethics of meat production, their community and health.
3. Motivations for accepting and eating meat alternatives were primarily personal health benefits, animal welfare and environmental reasons in order of ranking.
4. Messaging around the need to reduce meat intake will be most effective if it responds to what people say they care about; their preferences around swapping out meat (if they consider doing that at all), and how realistic it is for them to actually make the changes they say they would like to make.
   

Recommendations for future research

Further research areas, identified from both the scoping survey and discussions with stakeholders, include further investigation of consumer attitudes toward the acceptance of alternative protein sources that do not necessarily mimic meat. This research will provide valuable insights into how the public perceives these alternatives and offer guidance for the development of products that align with the UK agri-food system’s contribution to achieving net-zero goals. A key focus of future studies will also involve strategies to empower consumers by providing personalized food recommendations and information that resonate with their values, lifestyles, and dietary needs. Additionally, further research will be needed to examine the best ways to shape the consumer choice environment to ensure healthier, more sustainable options are not only available but also appealing and easily accessible.