Driving substitution: The case of plant-based meat

Abstract

With the ease of which information is spread through social media and the Internet, consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental, social and political issues that surround our traditional food supply-chain. Consequently, we are witnessing a transformation of consumption behaviour as consumers move towards more sustainable dietary practices that are lower in meat and higher in plants and plant-based alternatives, or ‘meat substitutes’. Therefore, this study aims to understand the consumer attitudes towards meat substitutes as well as the motivations and deterrents for consumption. To explore consumer perceptions and behaviour, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted in Christchurch, New Zealand. We interviewed a cross-section of consumers including those with varying levels of product usage and dietary preferences (vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian and omnivore). A number of product and social factors were found to impact on product perceptions and adoption including price, availability, inclusiveness and interpersonal influence.