TY - JOUR

T1 - Plant-based food – Purchasing intentions, barriers and drivers among different organic consumer groups in Denmark

AU - Denver, Sigrid

AU - Nordström, Jonas

AU - Christensen, Tove

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - How do we design policies that support a shift in eating habits towards a diet that includes more vegetable-based products and less meat, and in particular red meat? To inform policy, more information is needed about consumers' perceptions of the plant-based protein alternatives that have become available on the market. The present study of 1000 Danish consumers examined oat drink and plant-based mince as substitutes for cows' milk and minced beef. While the popularity of these is increasing, in 2021 70% of Danish consumers had nonetheless never tried using oat drink or plant-based mince. Respondents who stated that they often bought organic food were more likely to associate the plant-based products with benefits as well as being more likely to have tried using the plant-based products. While plant-based products were associated mainly with public good characteristics, it was private good characteristics that explained consumption of the products. Therefore, improving taste – or changing people's expectations about it – and reducing price are ways to reduce barriers to consumption. Initiatives to improve public understanding of the ways in which plant-based and animal-based products differ are also important, as many respondents were somewhat unclear about which characteristics they associated with the two products.

AB - How do we design policies that support a shift in eating habits towards a diet that includes more vegetable-based products and less meat, and in particular red meat? To inform policy, more information is needed about consumers' perceptions of the plant-based protein alternatives that have become available on the market. The present study of 1000 Danish consumers examined oat drink and plant-based mince as substitutes for cows' milk and minced beef. While the popularity of these is increasing, in 2021 70% of Danish consumers had nonetheless never tried using oat drink or plant-based mince. Respondents who stated that they often bought organic food were more likely to associate the plant-based products with benefits as well as being more likely to have tried using the plant-based products. While plant-based products were associated mainly with public good characteristics, it was private good characteristics that explained consumption of the products. Therefore, improving taste – or changing people's expectations about it – and reducing price are ways to reduce barriers to consumption. Initiatives to improve public understanding of the ways in which plant-based and animal-based products differ are also important, as many respondents were somewhat unclear about which characteristics they associated with the two products.

U2 - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.138256

DO - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.138256

M3 - Journal article

VL - 419

JO - Journal of Cleaner Production

JF - Journal of Cleaner Production

SN - 0959-6526

M1 - 138256

ER -