Prospective “warm-glow” of reducing meat consumption in China : Emotional associations with intentions for meat consumption curtailment and consumption of meat substitutes

Consumers’ food choices strongly affect the environment, particularly as a result of the production and consumption of meat. From an environmental standpoint, it is important to gain a better understanding of how consumers can be motivated to eat less meat, particularly in non-Western countries where few studies on this topic have been conducted. The current study was conducted in China, where the level of meat consumption has increased rapidly. The findings indicate that prospective “warm-glow” feelings are positively related with consumers’ intention to reduce meat consumption; this relation is stronger than the respective relations of both perceived sustainability and perceived health benefits with the intention to reduce meat consumption. Prospective “warm-glow” feelings are more strongly positively associated with the intention to reduce meat consumption via curtailment, than with the intention to consume (more) meat substitutes