Within this remit, ACSS established the Climate Change and Consumer Behaviour Task Force (CCBC) to deepen the FSA’s understanding of how climate change-related consumer trends affect its work.
trend
Four behavioral trends of primary concern to the FSA were identified through the CCBC: avoidance of food waste, increased preference for alternative packaging, increased use of reusable containers for food or beverage purchases, and increased consumption of novel proteins.
The new protein category includes foods such as vegan meat substitutes, cultured meat, farmed insects and plant-based proteins that are newer to the food industry.
The media has focused heavily on farmed insects and farmed meat, although consumer interest and acceptance have lagged.
For example, in Research From 2021, 60% of adults in England, Wales and Northern Ireland said they would be willing to try plant-based proteins such as soy, compared to 34% who said they would try cultured meat and 26% who would try “Edible insects””.
healthy
It’s time to capitalize on this strong consumer interest and focus on protein solutions available now, not the future.
Increasing the amount of plant protein eaten and grown in the UK presents a huge opportunity for the health of us and the planet.
The UK will return land used for livestock farming to forests and grow health-promoting crops for human consumption – we will be able to sustain human needs for calories and protein, rather than the feed currently grown for animals, 2019 Harvard Report It has been shown that if
The FSA highlights the potential impact of the increase in new proteins, including concerns about food processing and a lack of consumer knowledge.
We know these concerns can be mitigated by the combined expertise of NGOs, industry, academics, health professionals, other government departments, and more.
We must not let the experience of these heat waves fade into memory. Many parts of the world are far more affected by man-made climate change than the UK. It’s time to act.
this author
Louisianna Waring is Senior Insights and Policy Officer at The Vegan Society. She has a background in food policy and animal science.To learn more about the Vegan Society’s vision for a fairer food system transformation, visit Cultivation Values in Food Systems.
