The research on 14,147 adults across 12 markets expressed their views on the consumption of animal foods. Nearly a third (31%) agreed that retailers/and or food providers need to help society to reduce its meat consumption by innovating or improving the availability of plant-based alternatives.
According to the research 22% said retailers and food producers needed to help by reducing the meat on offer through portion control or the quantity of meat put into products.
Figures from the Veganuary campaign show that around two million people who signed up to Veganuary since it began in 2014 have helped save 12.4m litres of freshwater use and 207,680 tonnes of CO2eq emissions.
When the YouGov survey asked how people can reduce their meat consumption, 37% of UK respondents said it could be achieved by eating more vegetables, pulses and lentils, followed by 36% who preferred to eat meat less frequently and 32% who proposed introducing meat-free days into their week.
Dr Tracey Jones, global director of food business at Compassion in World Farming, commented: “It’s clear to see from this research that more and more people are taking a flexitarian approach to their eating habits due to concerns about animal welfare, human health, and the environment, and, to a large extent, consumers expect food companies to make it easier for them to succeed in their meat reduction journey.
“Food businesses have a real opportunity to capitalise on this by offering tasty and enticing veggie alternatives and by using less but better quality, higher welfare meat and dairy in their products – not only during Veganuary but throughout the year. By making small changes to our diets each day we can make a huge difference to our health and to the health of the planet, and there are clear opportunities out there for food businesses to lead the way and to benefit from it.”