Advocating Meat Reduction And Vegetarianism To US Adults (Faunalytics)

Overall meat consumption has remained stable in the past years, but those who have been making changes are significantly more likely to reduce their consumption rather than increase.

A comprehensive study on the meat consumption habits of U.S. adults, focusing in particular on meat reduction and the motivations for encouraging meat reduction.

Although most adults in the U.S. are maintaining the same level of meat consumption, those who have made recent changes are three times more likely to have reduced rather than increased how much meat they eat. Meat reducers and semi-vegetarians are significant segments of the adult population, while actual vegetarians and vegans remain a small minority.

Dietary choices — including meat reduction and vegetarianism — are most heavily influenced by a sense of self-interest. Taste preferences and personal health concerns are the greatest influences, rather than concerns about animals or the environment, a finding that presents both opportunities and challenges for vegetarian advocates. Specifically, health reasons are the drivers of meat reduction, while taste preferences are the leading barrier to meat reduction.

For most adults in the U.S., eliminating meat is a frightening or even unhealthy notion. Almost 8 in 10 say that they are “not at all likely” to ever give up eating meat entirely.