People’s Values and Preferences about Meat Consumption in View of the Potential Environmental Impacts of Meat: A Mixed-methods Systematic Review

Claudia Valli (), Małgorzata Maraj, Anna Prokop-Dorner, Chrysoula Kaloteraki, Corinna Steiner, Montserrat Rabassa, Ivan Solà, Joanna Zajac, Bradley C. Johnston, Gordon H. Guyatt, Malgorzata M. Bala and Pablo Alonso-Coello
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Claudia Valli: Department of Paediatrics, Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Preventive Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
Małgorzata Maraj: Chair of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Department of Hygiene and Dietetics, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-034 Krakow, Poland
Anna Prokop-Dorner: Chair of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Department of Medical Sociology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-034 Krakow, Poland
Chrysoula Kaloteraki: Iberoamerican Cochrane Centre, Biomedical Research Institute San Pau (IIB Sant Pau), 08025 Barcelona, Spain
Corinna Steiner: Iberoamerican Cochrane Centre, Biomedical Research Institute San Pau (IIB Sant Pau), 08025 Barcelona, Spain
Montserrat Rabassa: Iberoamerican Cochrane Centre, Biomedical Research Institute San Pau (IIB Sant Pau), 08025 Barcelona, Spain
Ivan Solà: Iberoamerican Cochrane Centre, Biomedical Research Institute San Pau (IIB Sant Pau), 08025 Barcelona, Spain
Joanna Zajac: Chair of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Department of Hygiene and Dietetics, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-034 Krakow, Poland
Bradley C. Johnston: Department of Nutrition, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
Gordon H. Guyatt: Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
Malgorzata M. Bala: Chair of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Department of Hygiene and Dietetics, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-034 Krakow, Poland
Pablo Alonso-Coello: Iberoamerican Cochrane Centre, Biomedical Research Institute San Pau (IIB Sant Pau), 08025 Barcelona, Spain

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 20, issue 1, 1-25

Abstract: Background: Health is not the only aspect people consider when choosing to consume meat; environmental concerns about the impact of meat (production and distribution) can influence people’s meat choices. Methods: We conducted a mixed-methods systematic review, searched six databases from inception to June 2020, and synthesised our findings into narrative forms. We integrated the evidence from quantitative and qualitative data sets into joint displays and assessed the confidence in the evidence for each review finding following the GRADE-CERQual approach. Results: Of the 23,531 initial records, we included 70 studies: 56 quantitative, 12 qualitative, and 2 mixed-methods studies. We identified four main themes: (1) reasons for eating meat; (2) reasons for avoiding meat; (3) willingness to change meat consumption; and (4) willingness to pay more for environmentally friendly meat. The overall confidence was low for the reasons for eating and/or buying meat, for avoiding meat, and for willingness to change meat consumption, and was moderate for willingness to pay more for environmentally friendly meat. Conclusions: Regardless of people’s general beliefs about meat and its impact on the environment, most people may be unwilling to change their meat consumption. Future research should address the current limitations of the research evidence to assess whether people are willing to make a change when properly informed.

Keywords: food preferences; consumer behaviour; meat consumption; environmental concerns; values and preferences; mixed methods; systematic review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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