What consumers don't understand about plant-based eating, climate change
Americans' willingness to change their diets to help the environment depends in part on their concerns about climate change and their incomes.
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Only 4% of survey respondents identified as vegetarians or vegans. When asked if they prefer meals with beef, chicken, fish or other meat, and/or dairy, 81% replied they somewhat or strongly agree.
Of the respondents who regularly ate plant-based foods, less than half considered affecting the environment, reducing global warming or protecting animals as very or extremely important when they chose plant-based foods. And 73% said that what friends and family think about their plant-based choices was not too important or not at all important.
Researchers found that about two-thirds of Americans somewhat or strongly agree that "Nobody has ever asked me to eat more plant-based foods"—a statistic that is pretty consistent among the three income levels (less than $50,000 per year; between $50,000 an $99,999; and $100,000 or more). However, respondents in the lowest-income bracket were more likely to somewhat or strongly agree that they don't know what plant-based foods to buy: 58%, compared with 55% of middle-income respondents and 46% of highest-income respondents. When asked if they agree or strongly agree that they "don't know how to cook with plant-based foods," 57% of the lowest-income respondents agreed or strongly agreed, compared with 47% of the middle-income respondents and 39% of the highest-income respondents.
The study found that respondents earning less than $50,000 a year reported several barriers to purchasing plant-based foods than middle- or high-income respondents did. But the three categories don't tell the entire picture. The Yale researchers weighted the results based on demographics to match U.S. Census Bureau findings and reported this breakdown in income: • 14% of respondents, as weighted, had incomes of below $25,000. • 18% reported $25,000 to $49,999. • 17% reported $50,000 to $74,999. • 14% reported $75,000 to $99,999. • 11% reported $100,000 to $124,999. • 26% reported $125,000 or more.
A majority of Americans who make less than $100,000 a year—53% of those earning less than $50,000 and 52% of those earning $50,000-$99,999—believe that plant-based meals are more expensive than meals with a meat-based main course. However, 23% of those respondents don't know if plant-based meals cost more, less or the same as meat-based meals. Even respondents in the highest income bracket don't know how plant-based meals compare: 42% said more expensive; 45% said the same or less expensive; and 12% said they didn't know.
The good news is that 94% of respondents are somewhat or very willing to eat more fruit and vegetables. And 19% said they would be very willing to eat less red meat, 29% somewhat willing to do so. But 19% said they would be very unwilling to eat less red meat and 48% said they would be very unwilling to eat laboratory-grown meat.
A majority of Americans are somewhat or very likely to eat more plant based foods if they had more options, better access and more information about the environmental impact of the products or foods they buy. However, 78% said it was somewhat or very unlikely they would change their diets at the request of a celebrity or public figure. (So much for Joaquin Phoenix's plea in his Best Actor acceptance speech at the 2020 Academy Awards presentation.)
Although food production generates nearly one-third of greenhouse gas emissions and significantly contributes to biodiversity loss, deforestation and other environmental problems, Americans aren't widely aware of the consequences their diets have on the planet. Livestock raised for beef and dairy create more greenhouse gas emissions than production of other foods, 14.5% worldwide, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Even when looking at emissions per gram of protein, beef, lamb, dairy and farm-raised crustaceans such as shrimp and crab are the biggest offenders. Fruits, vegetables and nuts produce the lowest emissions.
Studies show that replacing animal-based food with plant-based foods—eating vegetarian or vegan diets—would generate the greatest reduction of greenhouse gases than any other diet or food-related behavioral change, according to the Lancet Commission on healthy diets from sustainable food systems. Other positive changes include decreasing food waste, eating more plant-based foods and using "clean cookstoves." Eliminating animal products from American consumers' diets could reduce greenhouse gas emissions 73% and remove approximately 8 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through soil carbon accumulation and new vegetation, according to a 2018 study, Reducing food's environmental impacts through producers and consumers, published in the journal Science.
At least one-third of the food produced for humans around the world is lost or wasted, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. And in just the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that 30% to 40% of the food supply is lost or wasted. Composting would reduce greenhouse gas emissions 3.2 gigatons to 3.6 gigatons, according to Project Drawdown; it also could save about $60.8 billion.
Few Americans look for information about how their diets affect the planet—and 35% of respondents said they never do. And even though half of the respondents said they would be very or somewhat likely to eat more plant-based foods if their friends or family members did, only 30% said they often or always talk to friends and family about how different foods affect the environment.
Only 22% of respondents said they never or rarely purchase food grown or produced locally. Unfortunately, the report did not include a breakdown of the responses by income levels, so we don't know if they are related.
Based on a six-question survey about climate change, respondents in this study were categorized by their level of concern: • Alarmed (30% of respondents; 31% of Six Americas survey)– Most concerned and most supportive of policies and actions that slow or reduce global warming. • Concerned (29%; 26%)–Believe global warming is a serious yet far-off threat. • Cautious (15%; 16%)/Disengaged 4%; 7%) /Doubtful (11%; 10%)–Have different levels of understanding climate change and are not actively worried about global warming. • Dismissive (12%; 10%)–Reject the idea of climate change or its seriousness; don't believe human activities affect the climate; and oppose actions or policies to protect the climate.
While respondents who are highly concerned about climate change are more likely to seek information regarding the environmental effects of the products and foods they buy, 43% of alarmed respondents said they rarely or never do so. Conversely, 45% of alarmed respondents said they rarely or never talk to family or friends about the environmental effects of different products or foods.
While respondents who are highly concerned about climate change are more likely to seek information regarding the environmental effects of the products and foods they buy, 43% of alarmed respondents said they rarely or never do so. Conversely, 45% of alarmed respondents said they rarely or never talk to family or friends about the environmental effects of different products or foods.
The modern food system generates as much as 30% of the greenhouse gases causing global warming, but if more Americans changed to plant-based diets, those emissions would decrease.
Unfortunately, many Americans don't know how what they eat contributes to the climate change that is causing extreme weather events such as stronger hurricanes, more intense floods, increased drought and larger, hotter wildfires, found researchers from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and the Earth Day Network.
More than half of Americans surveyed said they would be willing to eat more plant-based proteins or less red meat, and nearly half said they would consumer dairy alternatives. But they are concerned about the cost and taste of those foods, as well as their ability to conveniently purchase them.
Livestock production is the leading agricultural contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, while fruits and vegetables creates the lowest levels, according to a 2018 study cited in the Yale report.
These results show that American consumers need more information about the effects of their diet on global warming, as well as lessons on what plant-based foods to purchase and how to cook them. Natural products brands and retailers have a tremendous opportunity to educate consumers on these issues.
Methodology
The report is based on a survey conducted by the Yale program and Earth Day Network. Researchers interviewed 1,043 adults from Dec. 6 through 11. Demographics were weighted to reflect U.S. Census Bureau norms, according to the researchers. Of all respondents, 48% were men. By generation, 33% were baby boomers (55-73); 25% were Gen-Xers (39-54); 30% were millennials (23-38); 7% were 74 or older; and 5% were Generation Z (18-22).
Some results were broken down by respondents' income categories—below $50,000 a year; between $50,000 and $99,999; and $100,000 or above. But that "low income" category is broader than what many would regard as low income.
The federal poverty level for a family of four in 2020 is $26,200. Someone working a full-time, minimum-wage job would not make that much in a year unless they worked in Washington state, the District of Columbia or New York City, New York, which have minimum wages of $13.50, $14 and $15 per hour, respectively, according to the federal Department of Labor. Minimum wages of between $12 and $13 per hour—$24,960-$27,040 annually—are the law in Arizona, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts and California (for small businesses only). The federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour—$15,080 a year—prevails in 21 states.
The study's principal investigators were Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and a senior research scientist at the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies at Yale University; Matthew Ballew, a postdoctoral associate who specializes in social psychology and survey research; Seth Rosenthal, the project director who focuses on survey methodology at the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication; and Jillian Semaan, director of Food and Environment for Earth Day Network.
Earth Day Network funded the study as part of its 50th anniversary of Earth Day commemoration.
To learn more about the study, "Climate Change and the American Diet," click through the slide show.
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