Request for Proposal - “PLMICs”

Identifying paths to reducing growth in animal product consumption in populous low and middle-income countries

Deadline: September 1, 2024

Rationale

Rapid population growth combined with increasing wealth has led to substantial acceleration in animal-based food production and consumption in populous low and middle-income countries (PLMICs).  The growth is apparent in China, but might accelerate in the not too distant future in other populous countries such as India.  It is clear that these markets are quite different from those in high-income countries in terms of types of products consumed, ways in which these products are consumed, and factors affecting production and consumption of animal-based products and their plant-based alternatives.

Goal

Proposals submitted under this RFP should contribute to a base of foundational knowledge that will guide efforts to improve farmed animal welfare in these countries and reduce or slow the growth of consumption of animal products.

Details

Successful proposals will likely answer one or more of the following questions, but other research questions that would contribute to knowledge on this topic will be considered. Single-country as well as cross-country studies are of interest.

  • What are the attitudes towards farmed animal welfare in PLMICs?

  • How can the plant-based alternatives industry in PLMICs be best supported?

    • Can PLMICs become exporters of plant-based proteins and under what conditions?

    • What are the possibilities of producing new-generation plant-based alternatives to meat products (as opposed to traditional ones)?

    • What are the best marketing strategies to promote consumption of plant-based alternatives?

  • What makes up the cost of plant-based alternative foods in PLMICs (such as plant-based meat and milk), and how do the costs of these foods compare with the animal-based foods they are meant to replace?

  • How can common animal farming practices be changed in PLMICs?  

  • What is the government’s policy with respect to animal farming and animal product consumption?  

    • How much influence does the animal farming industry have with the government?

    • What approaches and methods could be used to encourage the government to take measures to restrict growth of animal-based consumption?

  • What can be done to attract more people to work on the reduction of animal-based food consumption in PLMICs?

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