"PLANET, ETHICS, HEALTH AND THE NEW WORLD ORDER IN PROTEINS"

Dr. Sylvain CharleboisProfessor, Food Distribution and Policy Senior Director, Agrifood Analytics LabDalhousie University

Sylvain.charlebois@dal.caTwitter: @scharleb

Thoughts on COVID

As a consumer I consider myself a…

Source: Charlebois and Lemieux (December, 2019)

Meat Consumption(General)

4

On average how often do you consume meat or products that include meat?

5

48.5% of Canadians eat

meat daily

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Never

Less than once a month

Once or twice a month

Once or twice a week

Daily

2.28 %

2.57 %

6.34 %

40.1 %

48.51 %

Trends: Dietary preferences

Over 6,400,000 Canadians

follow a diet which restricts

meat consumption

63% of Vegansare under the

age of 38 (Millennials and

Gen Ys)

42% of Flexitarians are

Boomers

6

15% 13%

46%

15% 9%

0%

50%

Reducing or Eliminating Meat from Diet (Region)

British Columbia Prairies Ontario

Quebec Atlantic Canada

Meat Consumption(Trends)

7

In the past, have you thought at some point of making any efforts to reduce your personal meat consumption?

8

Yes No

No 45% Yes 55%

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Not at all willing

Somewhat unwilling

Neither willing or unwilling

Somewhat willing

Extremely willing

12.1%

12.1%

24.4%

39.1%

12.2%

How willing would you be to consider reducing your meat consumption sometime in the future?

9

51.3% of Canadians willing to reduce their meat

consumption

Specifically, in the next six months do you intend to reduce your meat consumption?

10

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

I do not intend to

I probably will not

I may or may not

I probably will

I fully intend to

22.3 %

15.8 %

29.6 %

23.7 %

8.5 %

32.2% of Canadians willing to reduce

their meat consumption over the next 6 months

Meat Attachment(Appeal)

11

Please indicate whether you agree or disagree with the following statements:To eat meat is one of the great pleasures in life…

12

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Strongly agree

Somewhat agree

Neither agree or disagree

Somewhat disagree

Strongly disagree

22.5%

31.4%

28%

10.7%

7.3%

Men are more likely than women to

consider eating meat as a great pleasure in life

To eat meat is a fundamental right of every person…

13

S TRO NGLY A GREE

S O MEWHA T A GREE

NEITHER A GREE O R D IS A GREE

S O MEWHA T D IS A GREE

S TRO NGLY D IS A GREE

32.6%

28.3%

29.3%

5.4%

4.4%

Younger consumers less likely to believe that eating meat is

a fundamental right

13%

7% 6%

3% 3%3%6%

4% 4% 4%

0%2%4%6%8%

10%12%14%

Somewhat disagree Strongly disagree

Eating meat is part of a natural and balanced diet…

14

S TRO NGLY A GREE

S O MEWHA T A GREE

NEITHER A GREE O R D IS A GREE

S O MEWHA T D IS A GREE

S TRO NGLY D IS A GREE

33.3%

38.9%

18.8%

5.2%

3.9%Majority of women

consider eating meat as part of a natural and

balanced diet

Substitution

15

Meat is replaceable in my diet…

13%

27%25%

21%

14%16%

34%

24%

16%

9%

0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%35%40%

Stronglyagree

Somewhatagree

Neitheragree nordisagree

Somewhatdisagree

Stronglydisagree

Male Female

16

Women appear to recognize substitutes for meat more so

than men

I know how to replace meat in my diet…

170 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Strongly agree

Somewhat agree

Neither agree or disagree

Somewhat disagree

Strongly disagree

15.2%

34%

21.3%

16.6%

12.9%17% 20%

12%15%

10%

31%28%

31%

38% 37%

0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%

After1994

From1980 to

1994

From1965 to

1979

From1946 to

1964

Before1946

Strongly agree Somewhat agree

Somewhat similar results for all age groups

I consider insects/bugs as an alternative to regular meat…

18

S TRO NGLY A GREE

S O MEWHA T A GREE

NEITHER A GREE O R D IS A GREE

S O MEWHA T D IS A GREE

S TRO NGLY D IS A GREE

3.8%

6.2%

12.1%

13.2%

64.8%

Stronglyagree

Somewhatagree

Neitheragree nordisagree

Somewhatdisagree

Stronglydisagree

British Columbia 1% 7% 15% 17% 61%Prairies 3% 5% 10% 16% 67%Ontario 4% 6% 12% 11% 67%Quebec 7% 5% 15% 14% 60%Atlantic Canada 5% 10% 6% 13% 66%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%

British Columbia Prairies Ontario Quebec Atlantic Canada

Atlantic Canada and Quebec seem more open to consider

insects as an alternative

I consider lab-grown meat as an alternative to regular meat…

19

Strongly agree

Somewhat agree

Neither agree or disagree

Somewhat disagree

Strongly disagree

5.8%

12.5%

25.1%

21.7%

34.8%

14% 13%

5%

2% 1%

20% 20%

14%

8%

4%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

After 1994 From 1980to 1994

From 1965to 1979

From 1946to 1964

Before 1946

Strongly agree Somewhat agree

Younger respondents appear to be more

receptive to lab-grown meat

Protein War of 2019.To Continue in 2020?

2025Dalhousie University Report: More than 16.5 million

Canadians (revised from 10 million) will deliberately limit

the amount of meat they eat by 2025.

Paradox of protein choices

Only when a consumer considers whether to buy

from a certain food category before selecting which food

option to choose, a large product assortment CAN

increase purchase likelihood.

Paradox of protein choices

“Food is not a “right or wrong” issue. We should

focus on the distinctiveness of different options,

depending on consumer’s decision order.”

Thoughts on COVID

Other challenges

• Monetizing convenience

• Artificial intelligence• Service/Retail ratio

"PLANET, ETHICS, HEALTH AND THE NEW WORLD ORDER IN PROTEINS"

Dr. Sylvain CharleboisProfessor, Food Distribution and Policy Senior Director, Agrifood Analytics LabDalhousie University

Sylvain.charlebois@dal.caTwitter: @scharleb