A lasting effect in two senses: a month with purely vegetarian options in a cafeteria at the University of Bonn led to a sustained reduction in meat consumption, researchers report. In the eight weeks after the veggie month, meat consumption remained seven to twelve percent below the level before the campaign. This effect was mainly due to a positive experience of the vegetarian meals, according to the study results.
Sausage, burgers, schnitzel…: For many people, meat products are the main part of a meal. In Germany in particular, gigantic quantities of products from factory farming are consumed every year. But this is a consumer behavior that is problematic for various reasons: In addition to the health risks, excessive meat consumption is associated with a lot of animal suffering. It also has a negative impact on the environment and the climate, because the carbon footprint of meat production is many times larger than that of plant-based foods. Measures that help limit the consumption of animal products can therefore serve the well-being of society in many ways.
The study by Anna Schulze Tilling from the University of Bonn and Charlotte Klatt from the University of Kassel now shows that “veggie campaigns” can actually have a positive long-term effect on people’s consumer behavior. The two economists scientifically accompanied a project in the Bonn cafeteria at the Hofgarten: May 2023 was declared a meat-free month there. During this time, all dishes on offer were only vegetarian or vegan.
Tracking the impact of the Veggie Month
“The central question in our study was: Can such an initiative lead to a change in behavior in the long term?” says Klatt. To investigate this, the scientists evaluated sales during and after the vegan-vegetarian month. The basis was the anonymized data from the cafeteria cash registers. They included more than 117,000 portions consumed by more than 4,500 visitors. “We were particularly interested in the proportion of meat among the main components sold after the meat-free month,” says Schulze Tilling.
The researchers also conducted a survey before the veggie month and eight weeks afterward. Around 900 cafeteria guests took part. The focus was on basic attitudes towards meat consumption and vegetarian alternatives. The second survey was intended to show any changes in opinions after the campaign. It was also intended to shed light on whether the respondents wanted to eat more vegan-vegetarian dishes in the future and what they thought of regular veggie campaigns.
As the researchers report, the analysis of the cash register data showed that meat consumption was actually lower after the campaign than before. “We estimate that the proportion of meat-based main components sold was reduced by seven to twelve percent as a result of the intervention, compared to the time before,” reports Anna Schulze Tilling. The results also showed that the campaign did not harm the popularity of the cafeteria or lead to a shift in the audience: The researchers found that regulars opted for the meat dish on average less often when visiting the cafeteria after the veggie month than before. “The intervention therefore seems to have actually influenced the consumption behavior of the guests,” summarizes Klatt.
Acquired a taste
But what was the decisive factor? As the evaluation of the surveys showed, it was apparently not the “finger-wagging effect” that was responsible for this, but rather a culinary cause. “We found little to no evidence that the intervention changed the perceived social norms,” write the authors. The survey results, however, suggest that the reduction in meat consumption was largely due to the fact that the cafeteria guests discovered during the campaign that they enjoyed certain meatless dishes. The surveys also showed a predominantly positive attitude towards vegetarian campaigns: around half of those surveyed would now agree to a meat-free month per year. In contrast, 75 percent were in favor of a veggie day per week, and 80 percent were in favor of expanding the vegan-vegetarian offering.
Although the study cannot provide any concrete recommendations on how cafeterias, school and company canteens should design their menus, it can at least provide basic information on how to positively influence more sustainable consumer behavior. “Our study shows that even short-term initiatives can lead to a reduction in meat consumption in the long term, for example if they get people to try new dishes,” concludes Schulze Tilling.
Source: University of Bonn, article: ECONtribute Discussion Paper No. 315