Americans want to adopt a more climate-friendly diet but need more detail when it comes to the impact of the products on offer, according to a new survey.
Writing for Innovators Magazine this month, Bruce Friedrich, the co-founder of the Good Food Institute, highlights an innovation culture tapping into changing appetites, witnessed by the exponential growth in plant-based food products. Providing further evidence of the rising consumer demand side of things, the American survey by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (YPCCC) and Earth Day Network (EDN), Climate Change and the American Diet, reveals more than half would choose plant-based options, if more information on their environmental credentials were available.
“Many American consumers are interested in eating a more healthy and climate-friendly diet.” Anthony Leiserowitz, Yale University.
One recurring point Bruce Friedrich makes about innovative companies like plant-based headliner Impossible Foods, is that they are targeting meat eaters. By producing products that offer the same taste experience they are appealing to those who enjoy eating meat. This is exactly what Americans want, with 67% saying they would happily go plant-based if it wins on taste.
“This data is a wake-up call for the climate movement,” added Jillian Semaan, Food and Environment Director, Earth Day Network. “Animal agriculture is one of the major drivers of our climate crisis, we need to provide people with the relevant information that connects food choices, animal agriculture and climate change.’
