How do people talk about alternative proteins? Understanding how the language used to describe alternative proteins influences consumer perceptions and behaviour

About the Project

Food systems generate around one-third of global greenhouse gases and drive water pollution and biodiversity loss, leading many to conclude that humans cannot continue to rely on (primarily farmed) meat and dairy as sources of protein. Fortunately, a wide range of sources of protein are becoming available as alternatives to traditional animal sources, including plant-based protein, lab-grown (cultivated or ‘in vitro’) meat, and fermentation-derived proteins made by microbes such as fungi, bacteria, and yeast in controlled tanks. However, the extent to which alternative sources of protein represent a viable way to reduce reliance on traditional sources of protein depends not only on solving technical production issues but also understanding how people think about and are likely to respond to new foods.

Unfortunately, the diverse nature of alternative proteins and their relative novelty means that a myriad of terms exist to describe these proteins. This makes it difficult to understand people’s attitudes and behaviour with respect to different sources of protein. For example, do people have different attitudes toward and associations with terms like “alternative proteins” compared with “sustainable proteins”? With “fermentation-derived” vs. “microbial” protein? Is the term “alternative” helpful or a hindrance? The proposed research will investigate (i) what comes to mind when people are prompted to think about different sources of protein described in different ways, and (ii) whether different language and framings can shift perceptions and, potentially, behaviour.

The research could use a range of methods, including free associations, experimental designs and draw on theoretical frameworks in psychology (e.g., Attitude Representation Theory, Lord & Lepper, 1999, and Social Representations, Abric, 1996), which suggest that the way people and groups represent an attitude object likely influences their attitudes toward that object. For ideas, see Bryant and Barnett (2019) who have studied consumer perceptions of in vitro meat under different names. The intended outcomes of the research will be an improved understanding of people’s attitudes toward sustainable protein, particularly what mental representations underlie these attitudes, how these are shaped by the way that proteins are described, and how these beliefs shape behaviour.