Findings

Two completed projects did not fit into our RFPs, but still aligned with our mission. Both studies identify important barriers to transitioning the food system away from animals, one from the consumers’ and the other from the producers’ perspective.  

A study identifying barriers to healthy eating among college students found no lack of awareness or understanding of the importance of healthy food choices. The barriers arise not from “why” but from “how” - students face limited access to healthy foods and find them to be generally more expensive. Students from lower-income families in particular, face economic barriers to increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. While the study was not targeting specifically the question of animal- vs. plant-based diets, these results are likely to generalize from healthy diet adoption to plant-based diet adoption.

Another study examined the willingness of Australian and Brazilian chicken and cattle (beef) farmers to consider participating in alternative industries. In Australia, most respondents were either not ready to diversify or already had. Many farmers who had changed or diversified their business remained in animal agriculture such as raising laying hens and ducks. In Brazil, most cattle farmers were engaged in animal and crop production, primarily soybeans, wheat, and oats. Farmers typically viewed the cattle industry as being particularly indispensable, despite climate change pressures. Notably, many farmers saw alternative proteins and crops as potentially more susceptible to climate change, and Brazilian farmers also questioned if alternative proteins were less harmful to the environment. Uncertainty around diversification was a central theme. Australian farmers were mainly concerned with a lack of resources, the need to acquire new skill sets, and staff shortages. Brazilian farmers seemed unlikely to diversify without the proper knowledge and a guarantee of market demand for alternative products. Overall, this study suggests that most farmers are open to diversification and that the perceived barriers are shaped by the context of each country.