PI: Keri Szejda

Date Awarded: December 2021 (FSRF 2021-1-012)

Summary :

Using online, nationally representative surveys, this study primarily assessed the potential for plant-based meat (PBM) adoption in Egypt, Kenya, and Nigeria. While familiarity was moderate, acceptance was high: 80% of Kenyans, 76% of Nigerians, and 62% of Egyptians reported they were highly likely to try PBM. Prior familiarity and being motivated to purchase for health and food security reasons were statistically significant predictors of PBM purchase intention in all countries. Nutrition, taste, and cost were considered the most important PBM product characteristics. PB chicken, beef, and fish, especially in the form of burgers, were considered the most desirable product types. Longer term adoption of other alternatives to conventional meat, including cultivated meat (CM) and hybrid products, also appear to be viable market-based solutions. CM and hybrid products were less familiar and accepted than PBM: 56% of Kenyans, 59% of Nigerians, and 42% of Egyptians reported they were very or extremely likely to try CM. In a future scenario where PBM, CM, and conventional meat were all widely available and had a similar taste and price, participants anticipated that alternatives to conventional meat could make up about ½ the total share of meat consumption in Egypt, ⅔ in Nigeria, and ¾ in Kenya. The findings from this study suggest that PBM in the near term, and CM in the longer term, could be viable market-based solutions to reduce the food security, public health, environmental, and animal welfare concerns associated with higher meat consumption and production.

Further Information: The final report can be found here. Research materials are posted on Open Science Framework here.