Tell me what you cook and I'll tell you who you are. A study of the influence of the representations and identities of aspiring chefs on their intentions to reduce meat in favour of plant-based dishes

Arnaud Lamy (), Sandrine Costa, Lucie Sirieix (), Ophélie Mugel () and Maxime Michaud ()
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Arnaud Lamy: UMR MoISA - Montpellier Interdisciplinary center on Sustainable Agri-food systems (Social and nutritional sciences) - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - CIHEAM-IAMM - Centre International de Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen de Montpellier - CIHEAM - Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement, Institut Lyfe Research & Innovation Center (ex-Institut Paul Bocuse Research Center) - LYFE - Institut Lyfe (ex-Institut Paul Bocuse)
Sandrine Costa: UMR MoISA - Montpellier Interdisciplinary center on Sustainable Agri-food systems (Social and nutritional sciences) - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - CIHEAM-IAMM - Centre International de Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen de Montpellier - CIHEAM - Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement
Lucie Sirieix: UMR MoISA - Montpellier Interdisciplinary center on Sustainable Agri-food systems (Social and nutritional sciences) - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - CIHEAM-IAMM - Centre International de Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen de Montpellier - CIHEAM - Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Montpellier - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement
Ophélie Mugel: École Grégoire-Ferrandi (Paris), IRG - Institut de Recherche en Gestion - UPEC UP12 - Université Paris-Est Créteil Val-de-Marne - Paris 12 - Université Gustave Eiffel
Maxime Michaud: Institut Lyfe Research & Innovation Center (ex-Institut Paul Bocuse Research Center) - LYFE - Institut Lyfe (ex-Institut Paul Bocuse)

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Abstract: Faced with increasing recommendations for a more plant-based diet, the catering sector is particularly affected. This study investigates how future chefs' representations and identities (professional or otherwise) influence their intentions to offer less meat-based and more plant-based menus, either by reducing meat in dishes or replacing meat-based dishes with vegetarian options. Theories of representations and multiple identities were chosen to study how future chefs may or may not consider to reduce the amount of meat in their menus, in relation to the literature that shows links between representations, identities, and relationship with meat. Culinary students from two French schools (n = 286) were investigated. Participants' representations of the effectiveness of pro-environmental measures in restaurants were analysed using t-tests, while the association of identities on intentions to reduce meat was examined with bivariate and multivariate regressions. The results indicate that future chefs perceive meat reduction in favour of plant-based products in the offer (dishes, menu) less favourably than other measures (e.g., favouring local sourcing, limiting waste, etc.). Furthermore, environmental, food, and cultural identities are associated to future chefs' intentions to reduce meat in favour of plant-based products. Theoretical and managerial implications are suggested, as well as perspectives for future research.

Keywords: Professional representations; Multiple identities; Professional identity; Sustainable cuisine; Sustainable food system (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-04-22
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr and nep-env
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-05042097v1
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Published in Ecological Economics, 2025, 235, ⟨10.1016/j.ecolecon.2025.108642⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05042097

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2025.108642

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