Animal welfare, environment slip in rankings as reasons to eat less meat

Back in the day, one of the biggest motivators for people turning toward a plant-based diet was ethics: They were concerned about animal welfare and/or the environment. While those reasons still resonate with consumers, new research shows fewer people cite them as the primary reason for eating less meat and dairy.

Health is the top reason for reducing meat consumption, with 41 percent of survey respondents saying it’s their key motivator, according to the Grains of Truth report by Trellis data partner GlobeScan and nonprofit EAT. Financial considerations now outweigh concerns about animal treatment, with 17 percent of people saying prices are pushing them to eat more plant-based foods, up from 12 percent four years ago. Only 15 percent of survey respondents cited animal welfare as their top reason to eat less meat, down from 20 percent in 2020; and 14 percent said environmental considerations motivated them the most, down from 12 percent.

What this means 

Meat, together with dairy, accounts for around 14.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization. This makes dietary shifts a critical lever for reducing environmental impact. Yet these findings suggest that personal health considerations — not environmental concerns — are the most compelling reason for consumers to reduce meat consumption.

Highlighting health benefits such as a lower risk of chronic diseases could be an effective way to encourage a shift toward less meat-heavy diets. Providing clear and accessible information along with public health initiatives that address common misconceptions could help shape perceptions. Approaches that take regional concerns and cultural preferences into account will also be important to make plant-based options more appealing.

It’s also critical to focus on financial considerations — two-thirds of survey respondents agreed that the economy affected their diet in the past year — and consider subsidies for producers and tax incentives for consumers.

Based on a representative online survey of more than 30,000 people across 31 markets, Grains of Truth draws upon a four-year collaboration between GlobeScan and EAT on public views on the food system.