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Meat consumption is growing steadily. As with any research, meat investigation requires an overall view of the study field to identify current directions and reveal prospective trends. The number of publications on meat research is growing steadily and reaching several thousand publications per year. This creates difficulties in covering all available information in the field and forces researchers to increasingly limit themselves to narrow issues in their direction. We analysed the main trends in meat research published recently and ten years ago. We identified areas of research in the field of meat based on abstracts of articles with the word "meat" in the title published in the Web of Science database in the time intervals 2000–2003, 2010–2013 and 2020–2023. We also mapped terms from articles directly related to meat using VOSviewer and the OpenAlex application programming interface. Among the selected dominant directions of the Web of Science, research areas were systematised based on abstracts of articles and reviews: 1182 publications in 2013 and 2610 publications in 2023. Such an increase in the number of publications indicates a sharp rise in interest in the topic and the existence of questions that need to be resolved. Therefore, an overview of the main directions in meat research in 2013 and 2023 was presented. Research areas with a declining share of articles and actively developing directions were identified, and unresolved pressing questions and trends were presented. The revealed changes demonstrate a shift from microbiology and technology of obtaining meat and meat products towards research methods development, problems of nutrition, and global warming. In conclusion, the prospects for research in these areas have been considered. The need to regulate the negative effects of meat production and consumption justifies the rationality of interdisciplinary approaches integrating environmental, health, and ethical perspectives. The most promising areas for further research are rationale and developing strategies to reduce meat consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most effective ways to mitigate climate change is to shift to more plant-based consumption practices. In this context, hands-on professionals in the food sector such as chefs are often seen as change-makers. Yet, most restaurants in wealthier countries predominantly serve meat and fish. In this paper, we use chefs and their embodied relationship with food as a case, and combine theories of practice and craftsmanship, to better understand the potential roles, both supportive and hindering, of craftsmanship in the protein transition. Drawing on 23 semi-structured interviews with a diverse mix of executive head chefs of Dutch restaurants in terms of menu type (animal/plant ratio), sector (fine dining/regular), and geographical location (city/rural), we found a reciprocal relationship between agentic capacity of animal- and plant-based materials and embodied skill. Based on this relationship, we found two forms of craftsmanship that relate differently to the protein transition. We argue that a "classical" form, in which a strong embodied relationship with animal- and a weaker one with plant-based materials is embedded, hinders a protein shift in chefs' practice. We highlight the important role of culinary education in strengthening the relationship with plant-based materials and defining plant-based cooking as a prestigious challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Institutional diet recommendations suggest making changes to food habits to promote a healthier and more sustainable diet. Part of these recommendations is a reduction in meat consumption. But this conflicts with omnivorous diet models such as that found in Spain. This study investigates changes in the consumption of meat and vegetables in Spain through the use of logistic regressions and data from the Household Budget Survey (Encuesta de Presupuestos Familiares) (2006 to 2022) and the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS) in Spain (2014-2020). The results do not show the emergence of a new vegetable-based diet model. Meat consumption is linked to social groups with high occupational and educational status prevails, contrary to what has been found in other countries. Some resistance to a model change was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studia Ecologiae et Bioethicae is the property of Uniwerystet Kardynala Stefana Wyznskiege w Warzawie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Regular consumption of meat products has positive and negative effects on people's health. Meat consumption is responsible for the majority of the dietary environmental impact of Brazilians. In this context, our paper aims to investigate the environmental and nutritional impacts of more sustainable meat consumption in Brazil. We collected data from the National Dietary Survey for food intake and the life cycle assessment literature database for environmental footprints. We used the ANOVA test to compare the nutritional and environmental impact of the base scenario with three different scenarios of reduction in meat consumption in Brazil. Our results showed that the proposed scenarios reduced the current meat intake by 25–50% and had a positive healthy effect due to the reduction in 24–75% of saturated fat, and 26–69% of cholesterol intake, but also possible negative healthy effect mainly due to the reduction in 26–68% of protein, 24–75% of iron, and 24–78% of zinc intake. A reduction in Brazilian meat consumption also implies a decrease in the dietary environmental impact in terms of carbon footprint by 16–55%, and water footprint and ecological footprint by 12–35% on average. Our results contribute toward policymakers to better understand meat dietary nutritional and environmental impact in Brazil, and to inform a sustainability framework to help actions in food and nutrition policy development in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: The escalating global demand for meat, as a sequela of population growth, has led to unsustainable livestock production, resulting in a host of environmental and food security concerns. Various strategies have been explored to mitigate these issues, including the introduction of a novel food product, cultured meat. Cultured meat is not yet commercially available, yet public perceptions are already taking shape. To better understand the factors influencing its adoption by consumers, a cross-sectional, web-based study was conducted to examine consumer attitudes toward conventional meat and cultured meat among adults in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods: The survey was conducted between December 2023 and March 2024 and used a convenience snowball sampling method. The questionnaire focused on current meat consumption patterns, meat attachment, and willingness to consume cultured meat. Sociodemographic data, including age, sex, education, and self-reported weight and height, were also collected. Results: Results showed that the vast majority (86%) of participants consumed all types of meats, while more than half (59.3%) were unfamiliar with the term "cultured meat". Despite this unfamiliarity, about one-third (35%) were somewhat willing to try cultured meat, though more than two-thirds (69%) were reluctant to replace conventional meat with cultured meat in their diet. Male participants and those with higher BMIs showed a significantly stronger attachment to conventional meat. Willingness to consume cultured meat was notably higher among participants aged less than 30 years, those having less formal education, and those who are Arabic. Conclusions: These findings suggest that while interest in cultured meat exists, significant barriers remain, particularly regarding consumer education and cultural acceptance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capuchin monkeys are omnivorous platyrrhines with a high frequency of faunivory and can survive in urban forest fragments. Predation of wild vertebrates (high-quality foods) by capuchin monkeys has been frequently reported in many species of Cebus and Sapajus. However, predation of domestic animals is unknown. We describe a rare episode of predation, consumption, and sharing of an adult domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) by individuals from a social group of robust capuchin monkeys (Sapajus sp.) living in a small urban park in the city of Foz do Iguaçu, southern Brazil. This relatively large prey is freely farmed at the study site. The capture, slaughter, preparation (removal of feathers from the body), and consumption of the prey by the capuchins lasted 22 min. The dominant adult male ate the chicken's head and tolerated the approach of two juveniles. The juveniles shared the remainder of the prey after the adult abandoned it. These juveniles scared other group members that approached the carcass. We recorded an opportunistic hunt for easily accessible domestic prey, a case of human resource use by urban primates that shared passively the atypical and valuable food. Though a rare event, the predation on a domestic animal indicates a potential source of conflict with humans that can have negative impacts on urban primates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reducing meat and dairy consumption has been advocated for environmental benefits. This study aimed to better understand meat and dairy consumption in a population with high intakes. Methods: Dietary data were obtained from up to two online 24‐h dietary recalls of adults (≥16 years) in the 2021 Scottish Health Survey, a nationally representative, repeated cross‐sectional survey. The contribution of food groups to meat and dairy intake and the nutritional contributions of meat and milk products to intake of 28 nutrients were examined. Weighted mean (95% confidence interval [CI]) daily intakes were reported per capita, overall, and by demographic subgroups (age, gender and Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation). Results: Mean daily intakes of total meat and dairy were 80.4 g (95% CI 77.1–83.7) and 238.6 g (95% CI 228.9–248.3) per capita, respectively. Chicken dishes, beef dishes and sandwiches were the primary contributors to meat intake, together accounting for 56.1% of meat consumed. Liquid milk accounted for 63.4% of the dairy consumed. Meat products were an important source of selenium and zinc (accounting for 26% and 25% of intake, respectively), whereas milk products were an important source of calcium (34%), iodine (38%) and vitamin A (25%). Conclusions: Although meat and dairy consumption in Scotland is high, a number of food groups contributed to meat intake, providing several opportunities to target for a reduction in line with climate change ambitions. However, careful attention is required for replacements to ensure Scottish diets are nutritionally adequate. Key points: Meat products are an important source of selenium and zinc, whereas milk products are an important source of calcium, iodine and vitamin A. Meat and milk products contributed ≥25% to these respective nutrients, and 17% to iron intake, while population mean intake in some subgroups was below the UK dietary reference values (DRVs).Population mean intake of protein and vitamin B12 was well above the DRVs.Beef and chicken dishes, and ham sandwiches are key contributors to meat intake, whereas liquid milk is a key contributor to dairy intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumption of rabbit meat has not penetrated the general populace as a credible substitute for chicken, beef and pork which are the most consumed meat types and widely available in the South African supermarkets. Although rabbit meat has a high nutrition content and good health benefits, it is not yet a commonly consumed meat variety in other parts of the country. This study was undertaken to identify consumers' perceptions towards rabbit meat consumption in Daveyton and Etwatwa area, Gauteng Province of South Africa. A proportionate sampling technique was used to determine the samples for each of the two study areas to select 382 participants from a pull sampling frame of 85000 participants. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data by interviewing 382 selected participants. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), version 28.0, was used to analyse the data. To determine the consumer perception for rabbit meat, a 5-point Likert scale was used. Furthermore, a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to analyse the relationship of the initial variables by extracting significant components. The results of the study showed that 61% of consumers agreed that they do not know where to buy rabbit meat in the study area. When comparing other meat types to rabbit meat in terms of health benefits, freshness, taste, appearance, texture and flavour, 43.6% respondents were neutral. Four PCAs were extracted to be significant and loaded positively indicating that consumers had positive perceptions towards rabbit meat and were represented by: health consciousness, rabbit meat availability, and behavioural considerations; beliefs and social acceptability; social considerations and perception on affordability, and sensory appeal. It is, therefore, recommended that support to the rabbit meat market should be informed by the determinants. The local meat market should initiate more rabbit meat sales in the study area since there is less access to rabbit meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Meat reduction, rather than total elimination, is emerging as a popular trend that fulfils most consumer demands. In this study, using survey results from 802 United Kingdom residents, we identified distinct groups of consumers based on their meat consumption habits and explored their attitudes towards meat reduction and their perception of hybrid meat products. Two distinct consumer segments were identified, named 'fans' and 'reducers'. 'Fans' were unwilling to reduce their meat consumption, considering it a right that makes them feel good. They were more optimistic regarding environmental concerns and less enthusiastic about the idea of hybrid meat products. On the other hand, 'reducers', although they consumed meat, expressed feeling bad about it and reported high levels of environmental concerns. These differences were also reflected in their willingness to eat and buy hybrid meat products, as well as the desired type of meat and meat‐to‐plant‐based ratio in their chosen hybrid meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The excessive consumption of red meat, such as beef, is a growing global health concern linked to increased risks of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The health consequences associated with red meat consumption were estimated to cost USD 285 billion globally in 2020, accounting for approximately 0.3% of total health expenditures that year. Understanding the psychological mechanisms behind food choices is crucial for changing consumption habits, fostering healthy behaviors, and achieving sustainable dietary patterns. To address these challenges, this study utilizes virtual reality (VR) as a persuasive tool to examine how empathy, as a psychological mechanism, influences the intention to reduce beef consumption and its impact on dietary attitudes. Using an experimental design with 142 participants, the study found that in the VR context, individuals with higher empathy scores experienced a stronger sense of presence, significantly influencing their attitudes toward beef consumption, mediated by the change in anti-beef-eating attitude (p = 0.029). This suggests that VR can serve as an effective medium to reduce individuals' willingness to consume beef and consequently prevent health risks associated with excessive meat intake. This study also highlights the importance of considering individual empathy levels when designing VR interventions to maximize their effectiveness and promote healthier dietary habits, ultimately improving public health. However, one limitation of this study is that it only assessed short-term changes in attitudes following the VR intervention, without incorporating long-term follow-ups to determine if these changes are sustained over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to present consumers’ opinions on antibiotic-free pork, with a focus on their preferences and knowledge of the safety of such foods. The study aimed to determine to what extent the selected factors influence consumers’ purchasing decisions and their confidence in antibiotic-free meat products (having such a label at the time of purchase). Surveys were conducted on a sample of 1,177 people via the SurvGo platform. The research showed, there is no change in the frequency of pork purchases (usually several times a month), as well as the key characteristics for the buyer, i.e. taste qualities and habits and traditions. Customers consider the appearance of meat, its quality and price to be the three most important purchase criteria. However, the conducted analysis of knowledge regarding the distinction between the terms “antibiotic-free meat” and “raising without antibiotics” indicated a relatively low awareness in this regard, despite clear declarations of willingness to purchase meat with a label describing the desired parameters. This indicates the need to continuously educate consumers not only about the health benefits of pork, but also about the ways in which animals are kept to achieve high quality meat, including information about antibiotic-free farming. In addition, consumers perceive antibiotic-free pork as healthier than traditional meat, safe to eat, free of antibiotics, but also more expensive. Respondents are aware that such pork will be harder to find in stores, as there are few producers on the market offering such pork. Nevertheless, they say they are willing to pay 10%-20% more for pork labeled as antibiotic-free pork. It is noteworthy that for almost two-thirds of respondents (73.7%), the health benefits of eating such pork would be an important factor in their purchasing decisions.

Climate change stands as the paramount challenge confronting humanity in the contemporary era. Attempting to address the problem, the main sectors responsible for it have been subject to domestic or international policies and laws aimed at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, except one: livestock. Given that animal-sourced food production contributes a large portion of GHG emissions, this Article aims to analyze the impacts that the exclusion of the livestock sector, in efforts to tackle climate change, would have on compliance with international treaties on the subject, especially the Paris Agreement. One conclusion reveals that state parties, by ignoring the sector, will violate several articles of the Agreement, which will likely lead to the failure of its main purpose of holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C.

A shift to a diet with low or no red meat is considered necessary to end the environmental and health impacts caused by the current overconsumption of red meat. The self-regulated behavior change stage model (SSBC) proposes that people who intend to change their behavior progress through a series of discrete cognitive stages until, ultimately, they engage in the new behavior. However, what the consequences of habitual behaviors are for the initiation and progression through the stages of change have not yet been fully elucidated or investigated. We hypothesized that habitual behaviors that are antagonistic toward an alternative behavior will inhibit the initiation and progression through the stages of change. Furthermore, in line with the habit discontinuity hypothesis, we hypothesized that the experience of life events would counteract antagonistic habits and be positively associated with stages of change. Using a cross-sectional survey of people who consume red meat in the UK, our findings support the SSBC concept of stage-specific cognitive processes with goal intention and goal feasibility varying in importance depending on stage membership. However, personal norms were equally important for stage membership regardless of stage. Our hypotheses for antagonistic habits and life events were also partially supported; the antagonistic habit was not negatively associated with goal intention to change, but it was associated with a reduced likelihood of being in the final stage of change (i.e., of engaging in reduction). Experience of a life event was positively associated with goal intention to change, but it was negatively associated with being in a later stage of change. Overall, our findings provide novel theoretical insights into the role of habits and habit disruption in a stage model of behavior change. They also yield applied implications for understanding how to achieve a reduction in the over-consumption of red meat (or other, habitual, high greenhouse gas emitting behaviors) by supporting the importance of stage-tailored behavior change interventions and suggesting the potential to combine such stage-tailored intervention strategies with the strategy of targeting interventions to when existing habits are weakened due to context disruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objective Method Results Conclusions Eating is often a social activity that can be influenced by others, particularly in close relationships when dietary preferences reflect underlying value differences. We sought to examine the personality traits of meat‐eating couples who differ in their preferences for meat.We recruited Swiss romantic couples in which one partner typically consumed more meat than the other (N = 272, couples = 136). At baseline, participants completed survey measures of self‐ and informant‐rated personality traits at the domain (e.g., agreeableness) and aspect level (e.g., compassion) and meat consumption. Participants then completed 28 daily meal surveys about their meat consumption.Among high‐meat eating partners, those higher in openness/intellect and compassion ate less meat. Additionally, higher intellect among low‐meat eating partners predicted lower meat consumption among high‐meat eating partners.These findings replicate evidence that personality plays an important role in meat‐eating and extend this evidence to meat consumption in a relational context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legacy media contribute to gendered depictions of culinary themes by associating meat with masculinity, influencing social realities. The current research examines whether similar gendered representations can be found on social media, reinforcing gendered patterns in food consumption. Using content analysis, we examine how men and women tweet about the (non-)consumption of meat. Results confirm gender stereotypes: men tweet more about meat and are more likely to hold negative attitudes toward vegetarianism and veganism. These expressions may reinforce gendered meat consumption patterns, where men continue to choose meat over more healthy and sustainable options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexitarian diets have gained attention for their potential positive impact on human health and greenhouse gas emissions reduction. However, a critical question remains: Can the segment of flexitarians significantly contribute to necessary changes in our current unsustainable food systems? Our study addresses this gap by examining meat consumption habits among young adults (n = 1023) in a country with traditionally high meat intake. Furthermore, we focus on a subset of flexitarians (n = 286). Our findings reveal two distinct groups of flexitarians: ethical (n1 = 140) and utilitarian (n2 = 148). Utilitarian flexitarians exhibit a stronger preference for meat (t(284)= −15.180, p < 0.001), greater food neophobia (t(284) = −4.785, p < 0.001), and lower environmental awareness (t(284) = 7.486, p < 0.001) compared to Ethical flexitarians. The Ethical group, predominantly female (χ2(1) = 13.366, p < 0.001), demonstrates higher life satisfaction (t(284) = 5.485, p < 0.001), better health perceptions (t(284) = 5.127, p < 0.001), and stronger beliefs in reducing meat consumption (t(284) = −8.968, p < 0.001). Additionally, Ethical flexitarians hold more positive views on plant-based meat, perceiving it as healthier (t(284) = 4.326, p < 0.001) and more ethical (t(284) = 4.942, p < 0.001), and show a greater willingness to adopt it (t(284) = 7.623, p < 0.001). While both groups possess similar knowledge and willingness regarding cultured meat and insects, Ethical flexitarians view cultured meat more favourably (t(250.976) = 2.964, p = 0.003). Our study provides insights into the evolving trends of flexitarianism within Central and Eastern European countries, where research on meat consumption and flexitarianism is scarce. These insights hold value for promoting behaviour change toward reduced meat consumption for both health and environmental reasons. Additionally, they offer guidance to the food industry, including producers, sellers, and providers of meals in educational and employment facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This field study set out to test whether consumers' history of making decisions in a particular choice context moderated the effectiveness of a nudge intervention to reduce meat consumption. In a Danish hospital canteen that served both staff members and visitors, a combination of nudges (Chef's recommendation sticker + prominent positioning) was implemented to promote vegetarian sandwiches. The sales of these sandwiches increased from 16.45% during the baseline period to 25.16% during the nudge intervention period. Most notably, this increase was caused by the visitors, who had weak location-bound preferences. Hospital staff members (who had strong location-bound preferences) were unaffected by the nudge in their choice. This is an important finding because the two consumer groups did not differ on their person-bound preferences for meat. It seems that behaviour change is best predicted by location-bound preferences, whereas the behaviour itself is best predicted by person-bound preferences. These findings can help organizations in estimating whether a nudge intervention has enough potential for behaviour change, or whether more directive policies are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reduction in the demand for meat and particularly red meat has the potential to significantly enhance the sustainability and health of many people's diets. In the current work, I examine situational predictors of meat consumption in nationally representative nutrition surveys from three Western European countries: Switzerland, France and the Netherlands. More specifically, I examine whether the situational factors – the meal type, the day of the week and the location of the food consumption occasion – are predictive of whether meat and red meat are consumed. The results indicate that all three factors are linked to meat and red meat consumption with the patterns varying substantially across the different case study countries and in some cases also the gender of the consumer. The results emphasise the value of mapping situational correlates to inform situated interventions aimed at influencing meat consumption, while also highlighting important differences across both cultures and people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change stands as the paramount challenge confronting humanity in the contemporary era. Attempting to address the problem, the main sectors responsible for it have been subject to domestic or international policies and laws aimed at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, except one: livestock. Given that animal-sourced food production contributes a large portion of GHG emissions, this Article aims to analyze the impacts that the exclusion of the livestock sector, in efforts to tackle climate change, would have on compliance with international treaties on the subject, especially the Paris Agreement. One conclusion reveals that state parties, by ignoring the sector, will violate several articles of the Agreement, which will likely lead to the failure of its main purpose of holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Annals of the Polish Association of Agricultural & Agribusiness Economists is the property of Polish Association of Agricultural & Agribusiness Economists and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The present study examined changes in the rates of vegetarianism among a sample of young American adults. Over 15 years, students at an American university (N = 12,704) described their dietary habits. Multilevel modeling analyses (participants nested within semesters) found that overall, the percentage of vegetarians increased over time, whereas the percentage of omnivores decreased over time; however, these changes occurred only for women. The dietary habits of men did not change over time. In a second study, in a sample of 363 adult vegetarians from the US, we found that women were more likely than men to become vegetarians due to concerns about the ethics of raising animals for food and eating them, suggesting that increased societal concern about animal rights may be responsible in part for the gender differences over time in vegetarianism. These results extend existing research on gender differences and suggest that if current trends continue, gender differences in vegetarianism may be more pronounced in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The affective turn has highlighted the need to study emotions, visceral reactions and embodied experiences within social sciences, and its importance has also been recognized within theories of practice. However, practice theoretical discussions of affects, especially empirically grounded ones, are still sparse and fragmented. This article seeks to further these nascent discussions by arguing that affective practices present one fruitful avenue forward. Originally introduced by Margaret Wetherell within social psychology, affective practices are theoretically developed further in this article within sociological research on consumption practices. This is done by suggesting that affective practices can be operationalized as meanings, materials and competences, following Shove, Pantzar and Watson's work. To explore how these three interdependent elements fit within affective practices, the article utilizes examples of disgust as an affective practice from a research project on everyday meat consumption practices among Finnish consumers. This provides a rich area of enquiry, since meat consumption mobilizes many affects in these times of mounting sustainability, health and animal rights concerns, and disgust within it entangles with visceral reactions as well as moral aversion. Altogether, the article provides a conceptualization for studying how affects themselves are constituted practically (affects as practices), to compliment previous research that has considered affects or emotions as parts of certain practices (affects within practices). Approaching affects as practices makes it possible to see affects' ontological variability and trajectories over time, as well as their relations to cultural and social values and feeling rules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Sustainability in Debate / Sustentabilidade em Debate is the property of University of Brasilia, Center for Sustainable Development and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This work focuses primarily on animal rights in the United States within the context of the specific legal system existing in that country. It argues that animal rights as recognized by state law are limited, in the sense that enforcement can occur only through public prosecution. If horses and cows are beaten and mistreated at a local farm, or if greyhounds are forced to live in small cages, protection will come only if the prosecutor decides to provide it. However, as prosecutors have limited budgets, and animal protection is rarely a priority the result is that violations of state law occur every day. We contend that there is no good reason to accept the level of suffering that is now being experienced by millions of living creatures. Doubts have been raised about the radical idea that animals deserve to have “autonomy”, understood as a right to be free from human control and use. In our view, the primary focus should instead be on animal welfare and suffering. While animals should not be treated merely as tools for human purposes, it is possible for humans to control them in ways that still allow animals to have decent lives. However, emphasis on minimizing suffering and ensuring decent lives for animals has significant implications. It is appropriate to consider human interests in this equation, because most times human interests take precedence over those of animals. Adopting the conversational method of inquiry, we claim that often the interests of animals are entirely disregarded, and if they were considered, many of our current practices would be indefensible.

There is a growing literature on meat consumption and reduced meat diets, given the negative impacts of meat on the environment. However, much of the literature has focussed on global North countries, limiting cross-cultural generalisability and overlooking the role of cultural differences in motivating food choices. The present paper provides a cross-cultural comparison of the motivations for meat consumption and vegetarianism in Brazil and the United Kingdom. This was done by conducting a total of 63 semi-structured interviews with meat-eaters, vegetarians, and vegans in Brazil (n = 41) and the UK (n = 22). The data was analysed thematically and the findings were compared across the participant samples. The findings showed that meat consumption was similarly motivated and justified in each country through the 4 N’s of justification for meat consumption. However, participants’ experiences of reducing meat consumption varied between the two countries, influenced by distinct motivations, aversions, and constraints. In the UK, price served as a motivation for choosing meatless meals, whereas in Brazil it acted as a constraint to reducing meat consumption. Additionally, in the UK, disgust was identified as a significant aversion particularly towards eating parts of meat that visibly resembled the animal of origin — a sentiment not observed in the Brazilian sample. Lastly, while environmental concerns were not a primary reason for adopting a plant-based diet in either country, they often became a significant motivator for maintaining it after dietary change.

Abstract Men tend to eat more meat than women, but it is not clear why. We tested three hypotheses in a cross-cultural design (20,802 individuals in 23 countries across four continents): that gender differences are (a) universal, (b) related to gender roles and thus weaker in countries with higher gender equality and human development, or (c) related to opportunities to express gender roles and thus stronger in countries with higher gender equality and human development. Across all countries, men tended to consume more meat than women. However, this difference increased significantly in countries with greater human development and gender equality. The paradoxical gender gap in meat consumption aligns with previous research that suggests greater differences in behavior across genders in contexts that are more developed and gender equal. We discuss implications for theories of culture and gender as well as practical implications for global meat reduction.

Health, environmental, and animal advocacy organisations emphasise reducing or eliminating high meat consumption due to its adverse effects on health, sustainability, climate change, and animal welfare. Increasingly, people are deciding to reduce their meat consumption frequency. Our study aimed to examine predictors of meat reduction among Slovenian consumers, focusing on gender, age, partner and children status, size of residential settlement, socioeconomic status, and political orientation. We conducted a survey using non-probability sampling. We examined demographic, socioeconomic, and political predictors of individuals' self-assessed intent to reduce meat consumption in the month following the survey. Additionally, we analysed respondents' meat reduction during the three years prior. A correlation analysis revealed that higher age and education levels were significantly positively correlated with meat reduction patterns. An ordinal logistic regression analysis indicated that age was the only significant predictor of meat reduction intentions and past behaviour. Our findings suggest that middle-aged and elderly individuals are more likely than younger adults to report meat reduction behaviours. Future public health interventions should tailor approaches to different age groups, and, in particular, target younger individuals. Educational campaigns should highlight the health and environmental benefits of reducing meat and animal product consumption, particularly in primary and secondary schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing research indicates that different types of meat have varying effects on health and aging, but the specific causal relationships remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the causal relationship between different types of meat intake and aging-related phenotypes. This study employed Mendelian randomization (MR) to select genetic variants associated with meat intake from large genomic databases, ensuring the independence and pleiotropy-free nature of these instrumental variables (IVs), and calculated the F-statistic to evaluate the strength of the IVs. The validity of causal estimates was assessed through sensitivity analyses and various MR methods (MR-Egger, weighted median, inverse-variance weighted (IVW), simple mode, and weighted mode), with the MR-Egger regression intercept used to test for pleiotropy bias and Cochran's Q test employed to evaluate the heterogeneity of the results. The findings reveal a positive causal relationship between meat consumers and DNA methylation PhenoAge acceleration, suggesting that increased meat intake may accelerate the biological aging process. Specifically, lamb intake is found to have a positive causal effect on mitochondrial DNA copy number, while processed meat consumption shows a negative causal effect on telomere length. No significant causal relationships were observed for other types of meat intake. This study highlights the significant impact that processing and cooking methods have on meat's role in health and aging, enhancing our understanding of how specific types of meat and their preparation affect the aging process, providing a theoretical basis for dietary strategies aimed at delaying aging and enhancing quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing global meat consumption has serious consequences on human health, the environment and ultimately impacts global food security. Therefore, identifying the drivers of meat consumption and predicting its evolution is necessary. We compared four machine learning methods in modelling meat consumption, leading to the selection of a random forest-based model to detect main drivers for global meat consumption. Our results show that per capita meat consumption is mainly driven by socioeconomic factors, such as national GDP and urbanization. However, the strength of these drivers declined between 1990 and 2018. Pork, beef, and poultry consumption are mainly driven by socioeconomic factors, whereas mutton consumption appears driven by other factors such as the per capita agricultural land. In this work, the model-agnostic interpretability method is introduced to measure the marginal effect of each driver on meat consumption. We found that there may be insufficient evidence to support the inverted U-shaped relationship between per capita GDP and meat consumption, which is reported in previous studies. Our analysis may provide avenues for predicting meat consumption at the national scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decades, the significant high environmental impacts of meat consumption have drawn increasing attention around the globe. This study took 2018 meat consumption levels as baselines. It explored the emission implications of the more sustainable counterfactual healthy red meat diet (HRMD), healthy poultry meat diet (HPMD), and world balanced meat diet (WBMD). Meat commodity supply for human consumption data was extracted from the FAOSTAT database. The data were then adjusted for cooking and edible meat yields to obtain the cooked-and-edible meat. Emission factors obtained from published meta-analyses were used to estimate the emission implications of cooked-and-edible meat consumption. Counterfactual HRMD showed that adjusting 18 regions' (10% of the world population) red meat consumption to a serving per day and poultry meat consumption to three servings per week equivalent could reduce the meat-related emission by 4%. The HPMD showed that further reducing red meat consumption in the HRMD to the world average in 21 regions (13% of the world population) and substituting the reductions with poultry meat could reduce the meat-related emission by 12%. WBMD showed aligning all regions' meat consumption to a serving of each bovine, pig, and poultry meat per week, and the ovine meat consumption to the world average could reduce the meat-related emission by 21%. HRMD and HPMD could be the step-by-step transition strategies towards a WBMD to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and simultaneously address malnourishment issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Men tend to eat more meat than women, but it is not clear why. We tested three hypotheses in a cross-cultural design (20,802 individuals in 23 countries across four continents): that gender differences are (a) universal, (b) related to gender roles and thus weaker in countries with higher gender equality and human development, or (c) related to opportunities to express gender roles and thus stronger in countries with higher gender equality and human development. Across all countries, men tended to consume more meat than women. However, this difference increased significantly in countries with greater human development and gender equality. The paradoxical gender gap in meat consumption aligns with previous research that suggests greater differences in behavior across genders in contexts that are more developed and gender equal. We discuss implications for theories of culture and gender as well as practical implications for global meat reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Meat and dairy products are important ingredients in Kazakhstan, although there are indications that high consumption of red and processed meat is associated with a risk of several non-communicable diseases and has an adverse impact on the environment. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the dietary habits of young adults in Kazakhstan, particularly meat and fish consumption frequency among university students in five regions of Kazakhstan. Methods: The assessment of meat and fish consumption was based on the food frequency questionnaire. Region of residence, age, sex, weight, height and parental education were also self-reported. Results: Meat consumption among the participants was lower than recommended consumption of 1500 g per week in Kazakhstan but almost two-fold higher than the World Cancer Research Fund recommendations of 500 g per week. Approximately 24% of the participants reported to consume meat every day. Only 8.6% of the participants reported fish consumption in line with the recommendation of approximately 270 g per week in Kazakhstan. Meat and fish consumption was fairly homogeneous across regions and sex. Conclusion: The results from this study contribute to the relatively limited information on meat and fish consumption in Kazakhstan. Further knowledge on dietary habits and probably improved nutrition recommendations on meat consumption in Kazakhstan are needed to protect public health and the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A shift to a diet with low or no red meat is considered necessary to end the environmental and health impacts caused by the current overconsumption of red meat. The self-regulated behavior change stage model (SSBC) proposes that people who intend to change their behavior progress through a series of discrete cognitive stages until, ultimately, they engage in the new behavior. However, what the consequences of habitual behaviors are for the initiation and progression through the stages of change have not yet been fully elucidated or investigated. We hypothesized that habitual behaviors that are antagonistic toward an alternative behavior will inhibit the initiation and progression through the stages of change. Furthermore, in line with the habit discontinuity hypothesis, we hypothesized that the experience of life events would counteract antagonistic habits and be positively associated with stages of change. Using a cross-sectional survey of people who consume red meat in the UK, our findings support the SSBC concept of stage-specific cognitive processes with goal intention and goal feasibility varying in importance depending on stage membership. However, personal norms were equally important for stage membership regardless of stage. Our hypotheses for antagonistic habits and life events were also partially supported; the antagonistic habit was not negatively associated with goal intention to change, but it was associated with a reduced likelihood of being in the final stage of change (i.e., of engaging in reduction). Experience of a life event was positively associated with goal intention to change, but it was negatively associated with being in a later stage of change. Overall, our findings provide novel theoretical insights into the role of habits and habit disruption in a stage model of behavior change. They also yield applied implications for understanding how to achieve a reduction in the over-consumption of red meat (or other, habitual, high greenhouse gas emitting behaviors) by supporting the importance of stage-tailored behavior change interventions and suggesting the potential to combine such stage-tailored intervention strategies with the strategy of targeting interventions to when existing habits are weakened due to context disruption.