Willingness to reduce meat consumption is growing, but misconceptions persist, according to research by Eating Better and The Food Foundation.

The survey of 1,733 people shows two-thirds of people are open to the idea of reducing how much meat they eat, yet the majority of the population believe that fewer than 40% of people would be open to doing so.

“Many people feel alone in their desire to eat less meat, but in fact the majority of the country are open to reducing the amount of meat they eat,” said Eating Better executive director Sarah Wakefield.

As for the drivers that will shift diets: animal welfare, affordability, and provenance outweigh climate and health. 

The Eating Better alliance is working to stimulate a 50% reduction in meat and dairy consumption in the UK by 2030, and for a transition to ‘better’ meat and dairy as standard. Foodservice businesses are being encouraged to put more plants and plates and menus and to make plant-based dishes more appealing.

Beans and pulses also present “a major untapped opportunity”, according to the new survey. The Food Foundation, along with partners Veg Power and Kent Student Union and in collaboration with Beans is How and Birmingham City Council, are due to launch a major new campaign championing beans this November, highlighting their role in healthy and sustainable diets.

The alliance also wants to see more foodservice companies setting targets relating to more plants and less and better livestock products. Deeper dives into the survey relating to specific themes – such as health will be published in due course.