Abstract
Sustainable consumption, in tandem with sustainable production, in terms of the thjree pillars of sustainability, is an undeniable priority of the global food industry amidst the current climate change crises. It is however no small feat to change the direction of decades of unsustainable choices made by consumers and in order to break a chain of consumerism and maintain a functioning sustainable environment in terms of the economy, natural environment and society, change needs to occur on both the supply and demand side. Efforts to improve and encourage sustainable consumption from the food industry’s side are becoming a prominent part of corporate and social responsibility. The South African Red Meat Industry Services prioritises research and development, as well as generic consumer education as key functions in developing a sustainable red meat industry value chain. The main aim of their consumer education campaigns is to empower consumers with the correct information to make sustainable consumption decisions. Consumers’ decisions and intentions are influenced heavily by their attitudes. A consumer insights study, investigating consumers’ attitudes towards different practices surrounding sustainable red meat production and consumption, was conducted to determine current consumer education priorities as well as approaches. The results of the study reveal that education, targeting the cognitive dimension of attitudes, on animal handling, environmental sustainability and utilization should be prioritised to mitigate sustainable consumption of red meat amongst South African consumers. The results of this study fed directly into the Lamb and Mutton South Africa consumer education campaign and are presented.
Presenters
Marina FourieCommunications and Brand Manager, Red Meat Industry Services, South Africa Nadene Marx Pienaar
Lecturer, Consumer and Food Sciences, University of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa Hanri Taljaard Swart
Lecturer, Consumer and Food Sciences, University of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Food Production and Sustainability
KEYWORDS
Sustainable Consumption, Red Meat Consumption, Consumer Education, Consumer Insights
