China's two carbon targets include reaching a peak in carbon emissions by 2030 and becoming “carbon neutral” by 2060. To reach these goals, the government is looking to change food consumption patterns, including reducing meat consumption.
“Instead of focusing only on farmland, we should utilize biological resources to obtain calories and protein from plants, animals and microorganisms while protecting the ecosystem and the environment,” President Xi Jinping said in a recent speech.
However, to persuade people to reduce their meat intake, it is essential to address not only the benefits of a plant-based diet, but also factors such as lifestyle habits, nutritional concerns and taste preferences. Barriers such as lack of freshness, poor taste, ease of preparation and affordability play an important role.
Additionally, education on health and environmental impacts, as well as reduced production costs, can help increase acceptance of plant-based alternatives.
In a recent survey to assess the acceptance of plant-based diets in China, 1,000 respondents aged 18 to 60 answered 15 questions about plant-based diets.
The questions covered benefits to health, the environment, animal welfare, food security and taste, and respondents were asked to choose whether to “strongly agree,” “agree,” “disagree” or “strongly disagree” for each question.
The researchers found that 98% of respondents were willing to incorporate more plant-based foods into their diet after hearing about their benefits, but key barriers related to health, taste preferences and nutrition still need to be addressed before they can be persuaded to reduce their meat intake.
“Unfortunately, 36% of respondents thought that 'ingredients are not fresh enough' would deter them from purchasing plant-based foods. 'It doesn't taste good enough' was the second most common barrier, chosen by 31% of respondents,” the researchers wrote in “Plant-Based Diets in China: Attitudes and Opportunities.”
“The third most cited barrier was concern about whether plant-based foods meet nutritional requirements, with 30% saying this is an impediment to change.”
Gen Z attitudes
Another study assessing Gen Z consumers' attitudes towards a plant-based diet found that health, safety and nutrition were the top three considerations influencing their decisions.
Gen Z is expected to be the core consumer demographic in China's future consumer market, and the future of China's alternative protein sector and the extent to which China transitions towards sustainable protein consumption will depend heavily on their acceptance.
“Among Chinese Gen Z consumers, perceptions of plant-based meat include bad taste, unnaturalness, inadequate nutrition, and whether it is safe to eat,” the researchers wrote in “Gen Z's Attitudes Towards Sustainable Protein in China.”
“Interestingly, people who have never tried plant-based meat or don't know about it are more concerned that plant-based meat is fake, unnatural and less nutritious.”
The top three reasons people were not willing to buy plant-based meat were bad taste or flavor (17.4%), not enough nutritional value (12.3%) and it's not real meat (12.3%).
Still, there is an opportunity for plant-based food manufacturers to better educate the public about healthy and sustainable plant-rich diets, their nutritional value, and the role they can play in aligning with key government policies such as Healthy China 2030, the 30-60 decarbonization goal, the First Core Document on Food Security, and China’s Dietary Guidelines.
Persuade people to eat less meat
Health and nutrition were the benefits associated with a plant-based diet that Chinese consumers most strongly agreed with: Specifically, 56% of those surveyed agreed that a plant-based diet tends to lower body mass index (BMI) and reduce obesity rates, and may lower rates of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
The percentage of people aged 45-60 was even higher, with 63% agreeing with the statement.
“In short, food manufacturers targeting the Chinese market should highlight the health benefits of plant-based alternatives as this represents by far their greatest opportunity to boost sales,” researchers from the plant-based acceptance study said.
Other factors that may make people more likely to switch to a plant-based diet include lower prices, certain lifestyle habits, or a greater awareness of what constitutes a healthy and environmentally friendly diet in general.
“Reducing production costs remains one of the main challenges for sustainable proteins. Plant-based and cultured meat manufacturers are encouraged to further optimize their technologies so that the final price gradually approaches that of conventional meat,” said the Gen Z study researchers.
“This will lead to greater consumer acceptance and increased sales.”
