Normalization of climate-friendly food should be further promoted

Danes' consumption of food has one of the highest climate footprints in the world per capita. This is due to our consumption of proportionally large amounts of animal products, i.e. meat and dairy products, compared to both European and global averages.

A more climate-friendly diet contains various elements, including a reduced consumption of animal products and less food waste. However, social science research shows that it is not that easy for consumers to change their dietary habits, and that various barriers come into play, for example price, uncertain knowledge, inertia of routines, accessibility, and social identity.

The more social barriers to reduce meat consumption have been studied far too little, and at the same time there has been too little emphasis on what can help to support a change in dietary habits towards more climate-friendly food.

In the period 2020-2023, the Department of Sociology at the University of Copenhagen and CONCITO, with support from the VELUX Foundation, have completed the project "Social drivers and barriers for climate-friendly diet". A new report summarizes the key results from the three sub-projects which have shed light on how things are going with reducing meat consumption among Danes, and what the challenges and opportunities for eating a more plant-rich diet are:

1. A quantitative survey study with a representative sample of the Danish population on Danes' attitudes towards plant-rich food
2. A qualitative study on young Danes' transition to a more plant-rich or plant-based diet, based on interviews, telephone diaries and focus groups
3. A change project called "Green conversation dinners" with more than 350 young participants throughout the country.

Young people are not leading the way in changing their dietary habits

From the survey study with 3000 respondents carried out in June-July 2020, the following conclusions are highlighted:

• Young people are not taking the lead in changing their dietary habits. Almost half of those aged 18-30 answer that they eat beef, veal or lamb 3-4 times a week or more, which is above the average for all age groups.
• A large group answers that they are reducing their meat consumption. 54% answer that they are omnivores, 42.7% focus on reducing their meat consumption, 2.3% eat vegetarian and 0.8% eat vegan.
• The group answering that they reduce their meat consumption is a very diverse group that experiences different degrees of challenges in reducing meat consumption.
• Social relationships are of great importance. Conversations about plant-rich diets with the family or social network increase the likelihood of starting to reduce meat consumption.

Changing eating habits requires work and coordination

From the qualitative study involving interviews, photo diaries, and focus groups, the following conclusions are highlighted:

• Changing dietary habits requires work. Changing dietary habits require the development of new shopping and cooking routines, such as replacing familiar dishes that can be prepared without much thought with others containing less or no meat or animal products.
• Social coordination around meals is important. Many meals are shared with others, and if you share a household, you usually also have to coordinate shopping and cooking.
• Interactions with others can prevent or support dietary change. Social interactions and conversations in people's social network shape understandings of the role of meat in food. This happens both through recommendations of new dishes and ingredients, and by challenging previous understandings of the role of meat.
• Dietary habits are rooted in other everyday activities. Through this, eating habits are also anchored to the everyday life of ones nearest social relations. This anchoring affects how young people structure their everyday life with food, for example, when they eat and how they cook.
• Exceptions to the vegetarian and vegan diet are common. Several participants in the study relate pragmatically to labels such as "vegetarian" or "vegan" and use them to communicate their dietary preferences to the outside world, but still occasionally eat meat, fish, or dairy products.

Conversation motivates and provides new insights

The change project "Green conversation dinners" was carried out as a kind of social laboratory to change eating habits in a more climate-friendly direction. During these special dinners, the participants engaged in a direct exchange of their own experiences with and attitudes towards food and further in a discussion about the possibilities for changing habits in the direction of more climate-friendly food.

More than 15 green conversation dinners with over 350 young participants have been completed, and the report contains descriptions and impressions from conversation dinners at the Maritime Academy in Svendborg, Oure Højskole and Gazzværket Åbenrå. Common among the young people who participated in the conversation dinners is that they have experienced it as a relevant and motivating framework for gaining new insights about themselves and their habits in relation to climate and dietary habits, and that the framework has made it easier to talk about habits and behavior.

Signs of normalization of climate-friendly food

Together, the three sub-projects show signs of increased interest in climate-friendly food, providing a basis for interpreting and developing the use of normalization as a potential new instrument in climate policy with regard to changing consumption habits.

More experience across social contexts means that it both becomes easier and more common to do something different than what you usually do as a consumer.  A concrete example of supporting the normalization of climate-friendly eating habits, which has already been used in Danish policy recommendations, is to change the standard for meals served in public kitchens to follow the official dietary guidelines.

Read the report "Social drivers and barriers for climate-friendly diet"

More info:

Bente Halkier, Professor at the Department of Sociology, University of Copenhagen, +45 35335044, beh@soc.ku.dk

Synnøve Kjærland, Program Manager for CONCITO's Climate Embassy, +45 29896754, sek@concito.dk

Michael Minter, Program Manager for CONCITO's Food Programme, +45 26166414, mm@concito.dk