IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jfpoli/v111y2022ics0306919222000835.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Identity labels as an instrument to reduce meat demand and encourage consumption of plant based and cultured meat alternatives in China

Author

Listed:
  • Ortega, David L.
  • Sun, Jiayu
  • Lin, Wen

Abstract

The rise of meat consumption in China has increased attention on efforts to mitigate the various environmental, health, and animal welfare consequences of animal agriculture. Plant-based products and cultured meat substitutes are emerging as alternatives to meat. Yet, little is known about consumer preferences for these products and approaches to increasing their consumption in the world’s largest consumer market. This study uses a food choice experiment to provide evidence from a survey of 3015 urban Chinese consumers on preferences for plant-based and cultured alternatives relative to a traditional pork product. We test the effectiveness of food identity labels at increasing demand by randomly assigning respondents to treatments that connect the animal welfare, environmental, and health benefits of the product to the purchaser’s identity. Given the prevalence of consumption away from home, we also assess the effects of consumption location on preferences. Results show that traditional tofu products can capture approximately 26% market share, new-generation plant-based alternatives 21%, and cultured pork 11% of the market. Food identity labels effectively reduced demand for traditional pork products while increasing relative demand for plant-based and cultured pork. We did not find significant differences in preferences between at-home and away from home consumption settings. We discuss the potential of plant-based and cultured meat alternatives to reduce the consumption of meat products in China and the use of identity labels as an instrument to achieve government and policy objectives.

Suggested Citation

  • Ortega, David L. & Sun, Jiayu & Lin, Wen, 2022. "Identity labels as an instrument to reduce meat demand and encourage consumption of plant based and cultured meat alternatives in China," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfpoli:v:111:y:2022:i:c:s0306919222000835
    DOI: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2022.102307
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306919222000835
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.foodpol.2022.102307?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dario Caro & Steven Davis & Simone Bastianoni & Ken Caldeira, 2014. "Global and regional trends in greenhouse gas emissions from livestock," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 126(1), pages 203-216, September.
    2. Kevin Schoenmakers, 2020. "How China is getting its farmers to kick their antibiotics habit," Nature, Nature, vol. 586(7830), pages 60-62, October.
    3. Machiel J. Reinders & Jos Bartels, 2017. "The roles of identity and brand equity in organic consumption behavior: Private label brands versus national brands," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 24(1), pages 68-85, January.
    4. Claudia Bazzani & Geir W Gustavsen & Rodolfo M Nayga & Kyrre Rickertsen, 2018. "A comparative study of food values between the United States and Norway," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 45(2), pages 239-272.
    5. Ajzen, Icek, 1991. "The theory of planned behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 179-211, December.
    6. Brenna Ellison & Jayson L. Lusk & David Davis, 2014. "The Impact Of Restaurant Calorie Labels On Food Choice: Results From A Field Experiment," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 52(2), pages 666-681, April.
    7. Bonnet, Céline & Bouamra-Mechemache, Zohra & Réquillart, Vincent & Treich, Nicolas, 2020. "Viewpoint: Regulating meat consumption to improve health, the environment and animal welfare," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    8. Van Loo, Ellen J. & Caputo, Vincenzina & Nayga, Rodolfo M. & Verbeke, Wim, 2014. "Consumers’ valuation of sustainability labels on meat," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(P1), pages 137-150.
    9. Apostolidis, Chrysostomos & McLeay, Fraser, 2016. "Should we stop meating like this? Reducing meat consumption through substitution," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 74-89.
    10. Jayson L. Lusk & Glynn T. Tonsor, 2016. "How Meat Demand Elasticities Vary with Price, Income, and Product Category," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 38(4), pages 673-711.
    11. Train,Kenneth E., 2009. "Discrete Choice Methods with Simulation," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521747387, September.
    12. Riccardo Scarpa & Raffaele Zanoli & Viola Bruschi & Simona Naspetti, 2013. "Inferred and Stated Attribute Non-attendance in Food Choice Experiments," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 95(1), pages 165-180.
    13. Van Loo, Ellen J. & Caputo, Vincenzina & Lusk, Jayson L., 2020. "Consumer preferences for farm-raised meat, lab-grown meat, and plant-based meat alternatives: Does information or brand matter?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    14. Xu, Zhigang & Zhang, Zongli & Liu, Haiyan & Zhong, Funing & Bai, Junfei & Cheng, Shengkui, 2020. "Food-away-from-home plate waste in China: Preference for variety and quantity," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    15. Lin, Wen & Nayga, Rodolfo M., 2022. "Green identity labeling, environmental information, and pro-environmental food choices," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).
    16. Daniel Schwartz & George Loewenstein & Loreto Agüero-Gaete, 2020. "Encouraging pro-environmental behaviour through green identity labelling," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 3(9), pages 746-752, September.
    17. Edenbrandt, Anna Kristina & Lagerkvist, Carl-Johan, 2021. "Is food labelling effective in reducing climate impact by encouraging the substitution of protein sources?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    18. Binkley, James K. & Liu, Yuhang, 2019. "Food at Home and away from Home: Commodity Composition, Nutrition Differences, and Differences in Consumers," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 48(2), pages 221-252, August.
    19. Alfredo J. Escribano & Maria Belen Peña & Carlos Díaz-Caro & Ahmed Elghannam & Eva Crespo-Cebada & Francisco J. Mesías, 2021. "Stated Preferences for Plant-Based and Cultured Meat: A Choice Experiment Study of Spanish Consumers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-21, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Giovanna Piracci & Fabio Boncinelli & Leonardo Casini, 2023. "Investigating Consumer Preferences for Sustainable Packaging Through a Different Behavioural Approach: A Random Regret Minimization Application," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 86(1), pages 1-27, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Bazoche, Pascale & Guinet, Nicolas & Poret, Sylvaine & Teyssier, Sabrina, 2023. "Does the provision of information increase the substitution of animal proteins with plant-based proteins? An experimental investigation into consumer choices," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    2. Van Loo, Ellen J. & Caputo, Vincenzina & Lusk, Jayson L., 2020. "Consumer preferences for farm-raised meat, lab-grown meat, and plant-based meat alternatives: Does information or brand matter?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    3. Yuan, Rao & Asioli, Daniele & Jin, Shaosheng & Nayga, Rodolfo M., 2021. "Consumers’ Valuation for Cultured Chicken Meat: A Multi-city Choice Experiment in China," 2021 Annual Meeting, August 1-3, Austin, Texas 313957, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    4. De Bauw, Michiel & Franssens, Samuel & Vranken, Liesbet, 2022. "Trading off environmental attributes in food consumption choices," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    5. Edenbrandt, Anna Kristina & Lagerkvist, Carl-Johan, 2021. "Is food labelling effective in reducing climate impact by encouraging the substitution of protein sources?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    6. Kilders, Valerie & Lineback, Caitlinn & Malone, Trey & Caputo, Vincenzina & McKendree, Melissa G.S., 2022. "The Tart Cherry Market and Purchasing Preferences in the United States," Staff Paper Series 317810, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    7. Marescotti, Maria Elena & Caputo, Vincenzina & Demartini, Eugenio & Gaviglio, Anna, 2020. "Consumer preferences for wild game cured meat label: do attitudes towards animal welfare matter?," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association, vol. 23(4), June.
    8. Alfredo J. Escribano & Maria Belen Peña & Carlos Díaz-Caro & Ahmed Elghannam & Eva Crespo-Cebada & Francisco J. Mesías, 2021. "Stated Preferences for Plant-Based and Cultured Meat: A Choice Experiment Study of Spanish Consumers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-21, July.
    9. De Marchi, Elisa & Caputo, Vincenzina & Nayga, Rodolfo M. & Banterle, Alessandro, 2016. "Time preferences and food choices: Evidence from a choice experiment," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 99-109.
    10. Ching-Hua Yeh & Monika Hartmann, 2021. "To Purchase or Not to Purchase? Drivers of Consumers’ Preferences for Animal Welfare in Their Meat Choice," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-25, August.
    11. Caputo, Vincenzina & Scarpa, Riccardo & Nayga, Rodolfo M. & Ortega, David L., 2018. "Are preferences for food quality attributes really normally distributed? An analysis using flexible mixing distributions," Journal of choice modelling, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 10-27.
    12. Paul Fesenfeld, Lukas & Maier, Maiken & Brazzola, Nicoletta & Stolz, Niklas & Sun, Yixian & Kachi, Aya, 2023. "How information, social norms, and experience with novel meat substitutes can create positive political feedback and demand-side policy change," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    13. Danilo Bertoni & Daniele Cavicchioli & Franco Donzelli & Giovanni Ferrazzi & Dario G. Frisio & Roberto Pretolani & Elena Claire Ricci & Vera Ventura, 2018. "Recent Contributions of Agricultural Economics Research in the Field of Sustainable Development," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 8(12), pages 1-20, December.
    14. Glynn T. Tonsor & Jayson L. Lusk & Ted C. Schroeder, 2023. "Market potential of new plant‐based protein alternatives: Insights from four US consumer experiments," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 45(1), pages 164-181, March.
    15. Baldi, Lucia & Trentinaglia, Maria Teresa & Mancuso, Teresina & Peri, Massimo, 2021. "Attitude Toward Environmental Protection and Toward Nature: How Do They Shape Consumer Behaviour for a Sustainable Tomato?," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315181, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    16. Chavez, Daniel E. & Palma, Marco A. & Nayga, Rodolfo M. & Mjelde, James W., 2020. "Product availability in discrete choice experiments with private goods," Journal of choice modelling, Elsevier, vol. 36(C).
    17. Chorus, Caspar & van Cranenburgh, Sander & Daniel, Aemiro Melkamu & Sandorf, Erlend Dancke & Sobhani, Anae & Szép, Teodóra, 2021. "Obfuscation maximization-based decision-making: Theory, methodology and first empirical evidence," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 28-44.
    18. Yan, Zhen & Zhou, Jie-hong, 2015. "Measuring consumer heterogeneous preferences for pork traits under media reports: choice experiment in sixteen traceability pilot cities, China," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 212609, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    19. Mathieu Lambotte & Stephane De Cara & Valentin Bellassen, 2020. "Once a quality-food consumer, always a quality-food consumer? Consumption patterns of organic, label rouge, and geographical indications in French scanner data," Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies, INRA Department of Economics, vol. 101(1), pages 147-172.
    20. Muunda, Emmanuel & Mtimet, Nadhem & Schneider, Franziska & Wanyoike, Francis & Dominguez-Salas, Paula & Alonso, Silvia, 2021. "Could the new dairy policy affect milk allocation to infants in Kenya? A best-worst scaling approach," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jfpoli:v:111:y:2022:i:c:s0306919222000835. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/foodpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.