New Meat Without Livestock

This chapter summarizes the global problems associated with livestock production and meat consumption and shows solution strategies through replacing animal products with plant-based alternatives. The positive effects of plant-based alternatives on human health and the environment are reviewed together with approaches for reducing world hunger. Psychological strategies for nutritional transitions towards more sustainable consumption patterns and criteria for market success of meat alternatives are presented. This is followed by an overview of meat alternatives – from soy1, lupine or wheat based, to bleeding burgers and artificial intelligence concepts. Marketing strategies and best practice policy suggestions complete the chapter.

Marketing Meat Alternatives

Meat alternatives have been proposed as one solution to decrease meat consumption and thus its negative effects on individuals and the environment. Using three meat myths identified in literature on meat consumption—meat eating is normal, natural, and necessary—this chapter discusses how they emerge in six selected print adverts: (1) normal: dishes containing meat alternatives are portrayed as traditional, perpetuating normality; (2) natural: the myth that it is natural to eat meat is not explicitly opposed, but bypassed; (3) necessary: meat alternatives are portrayed as even more necessary for good health than meat. The author proposes changes to neutralise these meat myths; but they are unlikely to be adopted by advertising due to its commercial goals. Although meat alternatives are theoretically preferable over meat (and can help individual transitions to vegetarianism), their marketing perpetuates meat myths, and may therefore reinforce a meat-centred culture.

What Is More Important

The unnecessary question what a man is without his masculinity, is deeply ingrained into the socially established norms of strength, power, virility and machoism. Although the traditional male masculinity stereotype and its association with meat consumption are still undisputable for many “real” men, there is indication about a shift toward a new modern evolutionary masculinity which reflects more sustainability values. The chapter explores this based on a survey of Sydney men. It reveals the influence of new factors, such as environmental, health and animal welfare concerns, which shape the concept of the masculine. Meat-eating men will experience increasing pressure to defend their traditional masculinity. The Sydney study also explores the factors likely to influence Australian men to replace a meat-centred diet with more plant-based alternatives.

Flipping the Script

This chapter proposes to “Flip the Script” of the prescribed diet in USA today that primarily revolves around eating meat. The consumerization of the consumption of meat is pervasive in this country, and individuals are culturally constructed to believe animal proteins are essential to the human diet. Using script theory, this chapter examines social networking sites (SNSs) as channels for implementing a mass dietary change in today's society, that which excludes meat. Script theory determines that individuals use instrumental knowledge of how to understand, react, and respond to situations that are repeatedly encountered. Being ideal spaces for initiating social changes, SNSs replicate real-life situations and are platforms, whereby messages can be shared, promoted, and exchanged in a global networked public.

Flexitarianism and Social Marketing

Society increasingly expresses concerns about the meat-centred food system, there is an increasing choice of plant-based meat substitutes and a growing amount of food consumers abstain from eating meat for several days per week (i.e., flexitarianism). However, consumers differ in their engagement regarding meat consumption moderation, leading to different transition routes of reducing meat consumption. Social marketing strategies are relevant when it comes to this transition and can be divided along a spectrum from light (“education”) to heavy (“law”). In the middle of this spectrum, nudging may be typified as aiming to unconsciously change behaviour by intervening in the context of consumption. This chapter presents two field experiments showing how these unconscious behavioural interventions could offer opportunities to effectively reduce meat consumption. Despite the promising contributions of these nudging interventions, a sustainable transition towards less meat consumption also requires changes in both prevalent consumers' mind-set and consumer culture.

It's the Speciesism, Stupid!

In a time of intense instrumentalization of life, nature becomes a mere factory from which natural resources are withdrawn. This system is causing immense social, ethical and environmental impacts, and livestock raising is at the core of these problems. The concept of speciesism – a prejudice concerning nonhuman animals, analogous to racism and sexism – is paramount in this realm. This chapter analyses the role of the mass media in perpetuating speciesist values and the urgent need for a paradigm shift. A genuine concern about the future of the planet and nonhuman animals involves questioning our speciesism and our narrow instrumental and economic paradigms.

Towards Plant-Based Diet in Nigeria

Considering the consequences of meat production and consumption in the West and globally, countries such as Nigeria with relatively low meat consumption per capita have the benefit of hindsight. However, if not checked, the current social structures and mechanisms, might progressively accelerate the consumption of meat and demand for animal-based food. Policy makers and government parastatals need to strike a sustainable balance between environmental health and promoting animal-based products for nutrition and economic reasons. Against the influence of social status, prestige and westernisation, people need to be responsible for their dietary choices supported by education and awareness. This chapter presents an overview of animal production and consumption in Nigeria to uncover unapparent factors and social drivers encouraging the livestock sector. Disproving the general assumption and misbeliefs that promoting plant-based diets might negatively affect developing countries, the localised implications on nutrition, health, environment and the Nigerian economy are weighed and clarified.

The Social Marketing Campaign by Greenpeace Mediterranean Against Broiler Chicken Consumption

Turkey's first encounter with social marketing began in the 1960s from which time the field has been dominated by public institutions, although during the 1990s non-governmental organisations started running some social marketing campaigns. This chapter analyses Turkey's first campaign concerning animal products for human consumption called “We Don't Swallow!” which was undertaken by an environmental non-governmental organisation (NGO) called Greenpeace Mediterranean. The campaign is analysed in terms of the basic concepts of social marketing (problem definition, objectives, exchange, competition, audience segmentation and marketing mix). An attempt is made to establish an understanding of how a NGO sought to affect its target audience's behaviour in relation to the origin of the meat they consumed. The chapter considers how “brand attack” works as a social marketing strategy and explores the possibilities that new communication technologies offer for social marketing.

Is Meat a Luxury?

Once perceived as a nutritional and occasional bonus, meat has now daily presence in the affluent West, serving human appetite for food. Although meat is not a product typically associated with luxury, its large ecological footprint poses the question whether it is time to challenge consumers' perception about animal-based proteins. The purpose of this chapter is to gain a perspective on how consumers respond to the idea of meat being a luxury product. A 2017 Sydney study investigated the concept of luxury meat and meat consumption amongst three generations – Xers, GenY and GenZ. It shows the emerging meaning of luxury goods related to meat that is sustainable, healthy and socially responsible, in response to climate change and feeding the world's population. The Sydney evidence also suggests meat is no longer essential for human health. A shift towards plant-based and new meat alternatives can create more compassionate and environmentally responsible choices.

Taxing Meat and Animal Food Products

This chapter develops the argument for taxing meat and animal-based products higher than other foods because of their negative effects on both human health and the environment. This includes a disproportionately higher contribution to climate change compared to plant-based options. With the taxation system serving as a mechanism for revenue collection and distribution, it is important to make transparent the reasons for taxing animal foods as well as the services and facilities which will benefit from the increased government proceeds. The example of goods and services tax (GST) in Australia is used to estimate the additional state revenue that can be collected through taxing meat. Taxing also acts as a social marketing mechanism to push consumption away from animal based food products and towards better dietary choices.