Towards plant-based food consumption practices : Activity focus group study

Currently there is an increasing global demand for plant-based foods. There has been a growing interest in decreasing meat consumption especially in Western countries, but the actual amount of consumed meat has not yet decreased. Hence, more information is needed about the change towards plant-based food consumption in the daily lives of consumers. The purpose of this research is to describe and analyse how young Finnish consumers perceive a change in their daily food consumption practices towards a plant-based diet. The focus is on barriers and drivers for the change. This thesis is philosophically based on social constructionism, which assumes that each consumer has their subjective perceptions, but these are constructed and shared in daily social interaction. The qualitative research data was generated through a focus group method, which was refined by adding food-related activities to it and renamed as an activity focus group. Four activity focus group sessions were held with altogether 13 participants. The theoretical framework was composed from the literature stream of social practice theory, focusing on change in consumption practices, as well as from previous research about barriers and drivers for consuming plant-based food. The change in food consumption practices was addressed through the emergent change in their three elements: material, image, and skill. The social nature of food consumption practices was also emphasized through addressing the role of social environment in the change. The barriers and drivers for the change that the participants perceived were associated with the three practice elements and the social environment. Material-related barriers and drivers focused on the availability and quality of plant-based foods. Image related findings stemmed from perceptions of meat and plant-based foods, and the positive characters and health benefits of a plant-based diet were highlighted as drivers. Skill-related issues were associated with the knowledge of plant-based foods and their cooking, and the gradual nature of the change towards a plant-based diet was emphasized in drivers. Social communities, such as households and work communities, as well as social conventions and shared meanings represented social barriers and drivers. With consumer insight companies can develop products that better meet consumer needs. The findings can assist especially the companies that produce plant-based foods by helping them to understand how consumers perceive the change in their daily food consumption practices towards a plant-based diet. In their marketing efforts, the companies can exploit the drivers and help consumers overcome the barriers