FLEXITARIANS IN BRAZIL: AN ANALYSIS OF THE SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE REDUCTION OF MEAT CONSUMPTION
Meat consumption; flexitarianism; sustainable development; protein transition; Brazil.
The flexitarianism diet, which is based on reducing meat consumption, is being seen as an important ally in the transition to sustainable food systems that can help mitigate climate change and strengthen food and nutritional security in different contexts. However, so far, we know little about the socio-economic factors related to flexitarianism adherence. This study aims to characterize the socio-economic profile of flexitarians in Brazil and relate aspects of this profile to meat consumption patterns in this population. With this study, we aim to answer four questions: (1) what is the socio-demographic profile of this population, (2) what are the main motivations for adherence to this diet, (3) what is the frequency of meat consumption, and (4) what are the main meat substitutes consumed by the flexitarian population? Data was collected through an electronic form that was self-filled by 1029 people from all over Brazil who consider themselves flexitarians. To analyze the data, we used descriptive and inferential statistics (e.g. Kruskal-Wallis, Spearman correlation, multinomial logistic regression). Our findings indicate that (i) the flexitarian food model is characterized by higher adherence of women with a high level of formal education, (ii) these people are mainly motivated by issues related to the impact of meat consumption on the environment and personal health and animal welfare, (iii) the consumption pattern is characterized by lower consumption of beef (less than two meals per week) and higher consumption of chicken (three meals per week), and finally, we observed that (iv) the main meat substitutes are plant-based protein sources (e.g. legumes) and eggs. We conclude that adopting a flexitarian diet in Brazil may be a positive indicator of an individual's social well-being. This conclusion brings additional complexities to the study of flexitarianism in Southern Global countries, where compulsory reduction in meat consumption can be an indicator of socio-economic vulnerability.