Changing Food Norms and Climate Change
How Are Food Norms Related to Climate Change
Foodways refers to the norms associated with food consumption and preparation. Many climate science experts argue that our diet contributes to human-caused climate change, and therefore, changing our foodways can help mitigate the climate crisis.
For example, U.S. beef consumption is the “largest driver of food-borne greenhouse gas emissions, water use and land occupation in the U.S. diet” (Goldstein et al., 2017, p. 1).
Most people in the United States, however, are not giving up beef or other meat, nor should this post be construed as telling people what they should or should not eat. Our food choices, however, have social and environmental consequences.
Are Food Norms Changing as a Result of Climate Change?
About one in four (23 percent) U.S. adults report eating less meat (e.g., beef, chicken, pork) (McCarthy & Dekoster, 2020). U.S. adults are eating less meat and are doing so for environmental reasons (McCarthy & Dekoster, 2020). However, most of those who say they are eating less meat are doing so out of concern for their health (70 percent), and nearly half (49 percent) report that concern for the environment is a motivating factor (McCarthy & Dekoster, 2020).
Major Reasons for Eating Meat “Less,” “Rarely,” or “Never”
According to GALLUP, very few U.S. adults are completely eliminating meat. Only four percent of U.S. adults are vegetarian and one percent are vegan (Jones, 2023). Answer the polls below to see how you compare to other readers.
Why Food Norms Are Slow to Change
Moving toward a more plant-based diet is challenging because of strong social norms regarding what we eat. It is very easy to find a meal that contains meat in restaurants, but far more challenging to find a meal that is plant-based and not a salad or french fries in restaurants. Further, it can be hard for an individual in a household to change their diet if the other members of their household are unwilling or unable to change theirs.
For most U.S. adults, decreasing their meat consumption means they have to learn new recipes, purchase new ingredients, deploy new frameworks for understanding and explaining their food choices, and accessing acceptable food alternatives.
For example, choosing plant-based meat alternatives requires access to resources to choose plant-based alternatives. The average cost of ground beef in the United States was $5.60 per pound (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024). In contrast, plant-based meats cost on average $8.41 per pound (Mitchell, 2024). Therefore, it is easier for higher-income Americans to choose plant-based burgers over beef because they can afford the higher cost of these products.
Many of thought that plant-based burgers may have a greater chance of being mainstream compared to the veggie burgers of the past. Plant-based burgers look like beef burgers by “bleeding” like beef and having a similar sensory profile (e.g., taste, smell, look). Plant-based burgers do not require as much of a learning curve to cook or consume compared to other protein replacements (like tofu or beans).
Plant-based burgers allow people to consume something that fits the norm (a burger) without having to account for their food choices the way they might if they opted for tofu or a portabello mushroom in place of a beef pattie. They can allow the consumer to participate in mainstream American social life without accounting for their food choices.
References
Goldstein, B., Moses, R., Sammons, N. & Birkved, M. (2017). Potential to curb the environmental burdens of American beef consumption using a novel plant-based beef substitute. PLOS One 12(12), e0189029. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0189029
Jones, J. M. (2023, August 24). In U.S., 4% identify as vegetarian, 1% as vegan. GALLUP. https://news.gallup.com/poll/510038/identify-vegetarian-vegan.aspx
McCarthy, J., & Dekoster, S. (2020, January 27). Nearly one in four in U.S. have cut back on eating meat. GALLUP. https://news.gallup.com/poll/282779/nearly-one-four-cut-back-eating-meat.aspx
Mitchell, R. (2024, July 31). Plant-based meats are not making it. Supermarket News. https://www.supermarketnews.com/meat/plant-based-meats-are-not-making-it
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024). Databases, tables & calculators by subject: Ground beef. https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/APU0000703112?amp%253bdata_tool=XGtable&output_view=data&include_graphs=true
