By connecting the current food system with acute world problems - deteriorating human health, growing population, violations of animal welfare and the climate crisis - the eating habits of Europeans also began to change. Even 30 percent the inhabitants of the continent claim to have reduced their consumption of meat and dairy products. And how do our compatriots view plant-based nutrition? The results of a public survey conducted in Lithuania revealed interesting trends.
In June, the organization "Gyvi Gali", which seeks global changes in nutrition, together with its partners "Orkla Foods Lietuva", initiated a survey in which Lithuanians were asked about their eating habits, the changes related to them, as well as their attitude towards meat and plant-based product alternatives.
“Such a wide scale research results about a plant-based diet have never been publicized before. It is good to see that a significant number of Lithuanians, especially young people, are reducing their meat consumption. In this way, they contribute to the solution of the deepening climate crisis, the well-being of animals, and at the same time they invest in the most precious asset - their health", says Meda Šermukšnė, head of Gyvi Gali.
Decline in meat consumption and demand for plant-based alternatives
In Lithuania, for alternative eaters - flexitarians, pescetarians, vegetarians and only 8.2 percent identify themselves as vegans. population (for comparison, the European average is approx 30 percent). Nevertheless, changes in diet are noticeable - more than a third (34.8%) of Lithuanians say that they have reduced or tried to reduce their meat consumption in the last three years.
Although the supply of plant-based milk and meat alternatives in the country is already starting to catch up with its advanced Western neighbors, these products rarely appear on Lithuanian plates. The vast majority of respondents (76-79%) say that they do not use them at all. A similar situation is observed in public catering establishments, where only a little more than a tenth (12.2%) of respondents prefer plant-based dishes.
"The results of the survey show that consumers evaluate plant-based food favorably according to many criteria. However, when making choices in shops or restaurants, Lithuanians still prefer omnivorous products. It is possible that consumers are not yet well-acquainted with plant-based products and dishes, their better positioning is lacking, and availability is still low in certain parts of Lithuania. For this reason, it is extremely important for businesses offering plant-based options to properly inform consumers and pay more attention to advertising such products or dishes.", says M. Šermukšnė.
What drives favorable attitudes towards a plant-based diet?
When comparing meat and plant products, Lithuanians do not hide their beliefs. The absolute majority believes that plant-based food is healthy (87.4 percent of participants) and animal-friendly (80.4 percent), while meat is tasty (90.4 percent) and filling (92.9 percent), but expensive (80.2%) and unfriendly to animals (80%).
The data also revealed an interesting link: people who knew vegetarians and vegans were more favorable to a plant-based diet and reduced their meat consumption more than those who did not know such people. Other factors also influenced the evaluation of nutrition: in most questions, plant-based nutrition was favored by younger people (under 29), as well as women and respondents with higher incomes.
As in other countries, consumers in Lithuania value terms related to plant-based nutrition more favorably than veganism. An example could be the inscriptions appearing on product packages - "vegetable ice cream" will sound more attractive to the buyer than "vegan ice cream".
"We have been monitoring the trends in plant-based food consumption for five years, and the results of this study only confirmed our knowledge and insights - plant-based nutrition is coming to Lithuania and has every chance of reaching the European average in the next five years. More and more people are interested in a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. Along with the interest in society, the understanding of terminology such as flexitarian, vegan or plant-based nutrition is also forming. A plant-based diet is a more acceptable concept for many people than veganism, which is based not only on nutritional but also on strict ethical grounds. Therefore, we consistently aim to encourage as many people as possible to choose plant-based food, which helps to create a balance between human needs and nature", - says Rasa Černiuvienė, marketing and innovation director of Orkla Foods Lietuva.
The survey was conducted by the public opinion and market research center "Vilmorus".