Promoting plant-based diet in China: Testing health, environmental and animal welfare motivational messages

Abstract

Promoting a plant-based diet has become an important goal in tackling modern environmental challenges. While research examining the motivations behind plant-based diet have been conducted extensively in developed Western countries, evidence is lacking in developing countries including China, with the world's largest population and a rising meat demand. We examined three main motivations for plant-based diet (health, environmental and animal welfare) in Study 1 (cross-sectional survey N = 1000 across 25 provinces in China) and Study 2 (quasi-experimental field study in the cafeteria of an international joint venture University based in China [N = 35,471 food transactions over 19 weeks]). While Study 1 suggested that health and animal welfare motivations were the most significant predictors of choosing a plant-based diet, objective consumer choices from Study 2 showed more nuanced effects. More plant-based consumption was promoted by messages emphasizing animal and environmental benefits, but a reduction in actual meat consumption was only achieved when messages highlighting potential harms to human health were displayed. These results, as well as a misalignment between eating more vegetables and less meat dishes are subject to discussion and proposals for future research.