Substitution patterns and price response for plant-based meat alternatives

Area of Science:

• Consumer Behavior
• Sustainable Food Systems
• Food Marketing

Background:

• Global meat consumption remains high, hindering sustainable resource use.
• Plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs) are often more expensive than conventional meat, posing a barrier to adoption.
• Understanding consumer preferences and price sensitivity for PBMAs is crucial for promoting sustainable diets.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate consumer preferences for meat versus various types of PBMAs.
• To determine how pricing influences consumer consideration and choice of PBMAs.
• To identify strategies for increasing the adoption of plant-based diets.

Main Methods:

• Conducted two studies with 2,126 US individuals in a hypothetical restaurant setting.
• Utilized a survey to assess burger rankings and consumer consideration.
• Employed an experiment to examine the impact of price on PBMA consideration and choice.

Main Results:

• Meat burgers showed higher average utility and preference than all PBMAs, but significant consumer heterogeneity exists.
• Consideration of meat burgers negatively correlated with PBMA consideration; PBMA consideration was positively associated across different PBMAs.
• Reduced PBMA prices notably increased their consideration and choice, while meat burger price changes had minimal impact.

Conclusions:

• Affordability, beyond mere price parity, is a critical driver for increasing consumer adoption of PBMAs.
• Targeted pricing strategies for PBMAs can effectively encourage a shift towards more sustainable dietary patterns.
• Further research into consumer segmentation and preference heterogeneity can optimize PBMA market penetration.