Abstract:
Increasing consumption of alternatives to animal-based food products can have significant implications for the sustainability of global food systems. We utilize consumers\' food values to identify the drivers of demand for alternative meat and milk products in China, the world\'s largest consumer market. Using data from 3015 Chinese consumers, we find that public food values, such as environmental impacts and animal welfare, drive consumers\' demand for alternative meat and milk. We estimate that approximately 35% of urban food shoppers constitute the potential market for these products. Plant-based meat alternatives to products with strong consumption dependence, such as pork, must compete on price, while alternatives to products with weak consumption dependence, like milk, are likely to earn market premiums. We estimate that modest consumption of alternative meat and milk products in these markets can improve food system sustainability by lowering China\'s animal production greenhouse gas emissions by 3.4% in addition to reducing animal slaughtering and potentially decreasing health risks associated with the consumption of animal-based food products.
摘要:
增加动物性食品替代品的消费可能对全球粮食系统的可持续性产生重大影响。我们利用消费者的食品价值来确定中国对替代肉类和奶制品的需求驱动因素,世界上最大的消费市场。使用3015名中国消费者的数据,我们发现公共食品的价值,例如环境影响和动物福利,推动消费者对替代肉类和牛奶的需求。我们估计,大约35%的城市食品购物者构成了这些产品的潜在市场。以植物为基础的肉类替代品,以高度依赖消费的产品,比如猪肉,必须在价格上竞争,虽然对消费依赖较弱的产品的替代品,像牛奶,很可能获得市场溢价。我们估计,在这些市场中适度消费替代肉类和奶制品可以通过将中国的动物生产温室气体排放量降低3.4%来提高食品系统的可持续性,此外还可以减少动物屠宰,并可能降低与动物食品消费相关的健康风险。