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 Environmental Sustainability Through Reducing Meat Consumption: A Behavioral Economic Approach |
| Saturday, May 24, 2025 |
| 10:00 AM–10:50 AM |
| Convention Center, Street Level, 151 AB |
| Area: EAB; Domain: Translational |
| Chair: Maribel Rodriguez Perez (University of Florida) |
| Abstract: Behavioral economic purchase tasks that assess demand for a commodity have significant implications for decision-making and public health. However, research regarding behavioral economic purchase tasks in the context of animal product consumption (e.g., meat, diary) is severely lacking, yet holds implications for environmental sustainability and non-human animal rights efforts. Reducing, and ultimately eliminating animal product consumption is a crucial target behavior for promoting environmental sustainability and consideration of animal treatment and rights. This symposium will present initial research using hypothetical purchase tasks to assess the reinforcing value of different animal products (e.g., meat, dairy, eggs), potential effective strategies to reduce animal product consumption, and cross-price elasticity of purchasing meat and plant-based alternatives. The presenters will discuss the reliability and face validity of purchase tasks in the context of animal product consumption, the assessment of cross-price elasticity, and the effectiveness of animal welfare appeals and other strategies to reduce animal product consumption. |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |
| Keyword(s): Behavioral Economics, Demand, Environmental Sustainability, Meat Reduction |
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| Measuring Demand for Beef and Plant-Based Food on Hypothetical Purchase Tasks: Evaluating Messaging Strategies and Cross-Price Elasticity |
| (Applied Research) |
| CYNTHIA J. PIETRAS (Western Michigan University) |
| Abstract: Livestock contributes significantly to greenhouse-gas emissions and deforestation, and increasing consumption of plant-based foods is a simple solution for reducing these environmental impacts. Behavioral-economic demand analyses may help evaluate interventions for increasing choice of plant-based foods. Prior studies have investigated the effects of information on consumption of plant-based meat alternatives, but the results have been mixed. The present study is using hypothetical purchase tasks to investigate: (a) The effects of messaging on demand for plant-based burgers, and (b) cross-price elasticity of plant burgers. Mturk participants who reported consuming beef were randomly assigned to a plant-burger message condition: No Message (control), Health benefits, Climate benefits, equivalent Taste, and Social Norms. Participants rated the probability of purchasing beef then plant burgers across 17 prices ($0.01-$85), and then cross-price elasticity was accessed. Preliminary results (n=84) show more elastic demand for plant than beef burgers, and that plant-burger consumption was greatest in the “Taste” message group. “Taste” and “Health” message groups show small cross-price elasticity, but other groups show no substitutability. Plant-burgers show greater purchase likelihood when they are half-price or less of meat burgers. These data are suggesting that price manipulations and certain messaging strategies may promote consumption of plant-based foods. |
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| Hypothetical Food Purchase Tasks to Evaluate Reinforcing Value of Animal Products |
| (Applied Research) |
| MARIBEL RODRIGUEZ PEREZ (University of Florida), Shahar Almog (University of Florida), Francesca Wilkins (University of Florida), Beyonce Flowers (Binghamton University), Alexia Obrochta (Oregon State), Meredith S. Berry (University of Florida) |
| Abstract: Although hypothetical purchase tasks have shown important implications for decision-making, health and policy, little research has been conducted on animal product consumption which has serious implications for animal, human, and environmental health. This study assessed the reliability and face and content validity of different novel hypothetical food purchase tasks for animal products (e.g., meat, dairy, eggs). We piloted the task with 118 participants who completed a hypothetical food purchase task before and after visiting a farm sanctuary event. Overall, data were highly systematic and orderly (89%). Only a small number of nonsystematic data were observed (11%). Strong positive correlations were also observed for demand metrics (i.e., intensity, elasticity) from pre to post-test, thus demonstrating initial reliability of the purchase tasks. Initial results indicated no significant differences in demand for any animal products from pre- to post-test. These data provide evidence for the initial reliability and validity of hypothetical food purchase tasks in assessing the reinforcing value of different animal food products, highlighting the need for more effective interventions. These data have implications for reducing and eliminating animal product consumption to inform animal, human, and environmental health. |
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| Reducing Intentions to Consume Animal Products by Sharing Rescue Animal Stories |
| (Applied Research) |
| MEREDITH S. BERRY (University of Florida), Maribel Rodriguez Perez (University of Florida), Shahar Almog (University of Florida), Francesca Wilkins (University of Florida), Lily C. Darnell (University of Florida), Erin Amerman (Critter Creek Farm Sanctuary), Christopher Amerman (Critter Creek Farm Sanctuary) |
| Abstract: The production of non-human animal products for human animal consumption (i.e., meat, cheese, eggs) drives severe negative consequences including extreme animal abuse and environmental exploitation. Reducing and ultimately eliminating animal product consumption is necessary to mitigate these negative outcomes. Using a within-subject design, this study aimed to evaluate whether displaying the stories of rescued animals at an Animal Sanctuary increased the likelihood of self-reported reductions in animal product consumption and adoption of a fully plant-based diet. We also evaluated whether the animal rescue stories increased feelings of ambivalence and concerns about animal welfare in food production among visitors, and relations to behavioral economic demand for animal products. The stories of the rescued animals emphasized four points: personification, the equivalence of farmed animals and companion animals, mind attribution of farmed animals, and factory farming conditions. Preliminary results showed statistically significant pre-post differences in increased likelihood of reducing meat and other animal products, adopting a fully plant-based diet, and increased feelings of ambivalence and concerns about animal welfare in food production. These data and previous research highlight that emphasizing animal welfare can be an effective strategy for reducing intended animal product consumption. |
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