Gauging attitudes and behaviours: Meat consumption and potential reduction.

Area of Science:

• Consumer behavior studies
• Sustainable food consumption
• Environmental psychology

Background:

• Understanding drivers of meat consumption and reduction is crucial for public health and environmental sustainability.
• Existing models like the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) may not fully capture the nuances of meat consumption.
• The development of specific tools, such as the Meat-Attachment Questionnaire (MAQ), is needed to explore deeper motivations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate New Zealand consumers' attitudes, motivations, and behaviors regarding meat consumption and reduction.
• To assess the explanatory power of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the Meat-Attachment Questionnaire (MAQ) in predicting meat reduction intentions.
• To identify key drivers for meat reduction among different consumer segments in New Zealand.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire-based study was conducted in New Zealand in March 2017.
• Data were collected from 841 responses obtained from representative consumer panels.
• The study utilized the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the Meat-Attachment Questionnaire (MAQ) to analyze consumer data.

Main Results:

• Consumer awareness of the environmental impacts of meat consumption was found to be low.
• Attitudes were the most consistent predictor of willingness to reduce meat intake, while attitudes and subjective norms predicted support for structural reduction measures.
• The MAQ provided additional explanatory power beyond TPB components, highlighting its utility in understanding meat attachment.

Conclusions:

• Consumer attitudes are pivotal in driving intentions to reduce meat consumption.
• Structural interventions promoting meat reduction and plant-based diets are more likely to gain support when aligned with consumer attitudes and social norms.
• The MAQ is a valuable tool for researchers and policymakers aiming to develop effective meat reduction strategies by understanding consumer motivations.