IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/rae/jouraf/v101y2020i1p91-116.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Is there a win–win scenario with increased beef quality and reduced consumption?

Author

Listed:
  • Louis-Georges Soler

    (INRAE, 75007 Paris, France)

  • Alban Thomas

    (Toulouse School of Economics-Research, INRAE, University of Toulouse, 31000 Toulouse, France)

Abstract

In the scientific literature, the debate on health and environmental benefits of a reduction in the share of animal-sourced food, in particular beef, in consumer diets is mostly focused on demand-side versus supply transitions. We discuss in this paper the necessary conditions for a win–win scenario to exist, where consumer preferences for diets with less red meat are accompanied by a transition in livestock production systems towards higher average quality of beef. Trade-offs between quantity and quality of beef at the consumer level and between domestic and international markets for producers are presented, as well as the determinants of reduced beef consumption, productivity gains, innovation in quality and environmental impacts in the case of France. We present a simplified model of aggregate consumer surplus and producer profit, with decisions on beef demand, output price and quality, to explore the necessary combination of changes in consumer preferences, producer strategies and public policies, required to produce a win–win scenario. Our experiment provides conditions for a win–win scenario, including increased efficiency on domestic and international beef markets and enhanced consumer awareness. We suggest research priorities and policy recommendations for accompanying transition in food preferences and cattle production system.

Suggested Citation

  • Louis-Georges Soler & Alban Thomas, 2020. "Is there a win–win scenario with increased beef quality and reduced consumption?," Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies, INRA Department of Economics, vol. 101(1), pages 91-116.
    • Handle: RePEc:rae:jouraf:v:101:y:2020:i:1:p:91-116
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    To our knowledge, this item is not available for download. To find whether it is available, there are three options:
    1. Check below whether another version of this item is available online.
    2. Check on the provider's web page whether it is in fact available.
    3. Perform a search for a similarly titled item that would be available.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Adrian R. Camilleri & Richard P. Larrick & Shajuti Hossain & Dalia Patino-Echeverri, 2019. "Consumers underestimate the emissions associated with food but are aided by labels," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 53-58, January.
    2. Marthe Hårvik Austgulen & Silje Elisabeth Skuland & Alexander Schjøll & Frode Alfnes, 2018. "Consumer Readiness to Reduce Meat Consumption for the Purpose of Environmental Sustainability: Insights from Norway," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-24, August.
    3. Bryngelsson, David & Wirsenius, Stefan & Hedenus, Fredrik & Sonesson, Ulf, 2016. "How can the EU climate targets be met? A combined analysis of technological and demand-side changes in food and agriculture," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 152-164.
    4. France Caillavet & Adélaïde Fadhuile & Véronique Nichèle, 2016. "Taxing animal-based foods for sustainability: environmental, nutritional and social perspectives in France," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 43(4), pages 537-560.
    5. David Tilman & Michael Clark, 2014. "Global diets link environmental sustainability and human health," Nature, Nature, vol. 515(7528), pages 518-522, November.
    6. Bonnet, Céline & Bouamra-Mechemache, Zohra & Corre, Tifenn, 2018. "An Environmental Tax Towards More Sustainable Food: Empirical Evidence of the Consumption of Animal Products in France," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 48-61.
    7. Shewmake, Sharon & Okrent, Abigail & Thabrew, Lanka & Vandenbergh, Michael, 2015. "Predicting consumer demand responses to carbon labels," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 168-180.
    8. Cesar Revoredo-Giha & Neil Chalmers & Faical Akaichi, 2018. "Simulating the Impact of Carbon Taxes on Greenhouse Gas Emission and Nutrition in the UK," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-19, January.
    9. Yanyan Liu & Mary K. Muth & Stephen R. Koontz & John D. Lawrence, 2009. "Evidence of the role of marketing arrangements and valuation methods in improving beef quality," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 25(2), pages 147-163.
    10. Tukker, Arnold & Goldbohm, R. Alexandra & de Koning, Arjan & Verheijden, Marieke & Kleijn, René & Wolf, Oliver & Pérez-Domínguez, Ignacio & Rueda-Cantuche, Jose M., 2011. "Environmental impacts of changes to healthier diets in Europe," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(10), pages 1776-1788, August.
    11. C. Hinrichs & Rick Welsh, 2003. "The effects of the industrialization of US livestock agriculture on promoting sustainable production practices," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 20(2), pages 125-141, June.
    12. Feucht, Yvonne & Zander, Katrin, 2017. "Consumers' Willingness to Pay for Climate-Friendly Food in European Countries," International Journal on Food System Dynamics, International Center for Management, Communication, and Research, vol. 2017(1), June.
    13. Stern, David I., 2004. "The Rise and Fall of the Environmental Kuznets Curve," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(8), pages 1419-1439, August.
    14. Waseem Ahmad & Sven Anders, 2012. "The Value of Brand and Convenience Attributes in Highly Processed Food Products," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 60(1), pages 113-133, March.
    15. Ariane Kehlbacher & Richard Tiffin & Adam Briggs & Mike Berners-Lee & Peter Scarborough, 2016. "The distributional and nutritional impacts and mitigation potential of emission-based food taxes in the UK," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 137(1), pages 121-141, July.
    16. William A. Masters & Anaya Hall & Elena M. Martinez & Peilin Shi & Gitanjali Singh & Patrick Webb & Dariush Mozaffarian, 2016. "The nutrition transition and agricultural transformation: a Preston curve approach," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 47(S1), pages 97-114, November.
    17. Apostolidis, Chrysostomos & McLeay, Fraser, 2016. "Should we stop meating like this? Reducing meat consumption through substitution," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 74-89.
    18. Fiala, Nathan, 2008. "Meeting the demand: An estimation of potential future greenhouse gas emissions from meat production," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(3), pages 412-419, October.
    19. Peschel, Anne & Grebitus, Carola & Steiner, Bodo & Veeman, Michele, 2016. "How does consumer knowledge affect environmentally sustainable choices? Evidence from a cross-country latent class analysis of food labels," MPRA Paper 69864, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Feucht, Yvonne & Zander, Katrin, 2017. "Consumers' Willingness to Pay for Climate-Friendly Food in European Countries," 2018 International European Forum (163rd EAAE Seminar), February 5-9, 2018, Innsbruck-Igls, Austria 276930, International European Forum on System Dynamics and Innovation in Food Networks.
    21. Ramona Weinrich, 2018. "Cross-Cultural Comparison between German, French and Dutch Consumer Preferences for Meat Substitutes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-14, May.
    22. Irz, Xavier & Leroy, Pascal & Réquillart, Vincent & Soler, Louis-Georges, 2016. "Welfare and sustainability effects of dietary recommendations," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 139-155.
    23. Marco Springmann & Michael Clark & Daniel Mason-D’Croz & Keith Wiebe & Benjamin Leon Bodirsky & Luis Lassaletta & Wim Vries & Sonja J. Vermeulen & Mario Herrero & Kimberly M. Carlson & Malin Jonell & , 2018. "Options for keeping the food system within environmental limits," Nature, Nature, vol. 562(7728), pages 519-525, October.
    24. Castellari Elena & Marette Stéphan & Moro Daniele & Sckokai Paolo, 2019. "The Impact of Information on Willingness to Pay and Quantity Choices for Meat and Meat Substitute," Journal of Agricultural & Food Industrial Organization, De Gruyter, vol. 17(1), pages 1-16, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Soler, Louis-Georges & Thomas, Alban, 2020. "Is there a win-win scenario with both limited beef production and reduced beef consumption?," TSE Working Papers 20-1067, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    2. Bonnet, Céline & Bouamra-Mechemache, Zohra & Réquillart, Vincent & Treich, Nicolas, 2020. "Viewpoint: Regulating meat consumption to improve health, the environment and animal welfare," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    3. Pascale Bazoche & Nicolas Guinet & Sylvaine Poret & Sabrina Teyssier, 2021. "Does the provision of information increase the substitution of animal proteins with plant-based proteins? An experimental investigation into consumer choices," Working Papers SMART 21-07, INRAE UMR SMART.
    4. Bazoche, Pascale & Guinet, Nicolas & Poret, Sylvaine & Teyssier, Sabrina, 2023. "Does the provision of information increase the substitution of animal proteins with plant-based proteins? An experimental investigation into consumer choices," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    5. Annika J. Thies & Matthias Staudigel & Daniela Weible, 2023. "A segmentation of fresh meat shoppers based on revealed preferences," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 39(4), pages 1075-1099, October.
    6. Caillavet, France & Fadhuile, Adélaïde & Nichèle, Véronique, 2019. "Assessing the distributional effects of carbon taxes on food: Inequalities and nutritional insights in France," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 20-31.
    7. Erica Doro & Vincent Réquillart, 2020. "Review of sustainable diets: are nutritional objectives and low-carbon-emission objectives compatible?," Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies, INRA Department of Economics, vol. 101(1), pages 117-146.
    8. Christine Cleghorn & Ingrid Mulder & Alex Macmillan & Anja Mizdrak & Jonathan Drew & Nhung Nghiem & Tony Blakely & Cliona Ni Mhurchu, 2022. "Can a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Tax on Food also Be Healthy and Equitable? A Systemised Review and Modelling Study from Aotearoa New Zealand," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-15, April.
    9. Bonnet, Céline & Coinon, Marine, 2024. "Environmental co-benefits of health policies to reduce meat consumption: A narrative review," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    10. Doro, Erica & Réquillart, Vincent, 2018. "Sustainable diets: are nutritional objectives and low-carbon-emission objectives compatible?," TSE Working Papers 18-913, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    11. France Caillavet & Adélaïde Fadhuile & Veronique Nichèle, 2018. "Assessing the distributional effects of carbon taxes on food: inequalities and nutritional insights," Working Papers hal-01919440, HAL.
    12. Bonnet, Céline & Bouamra-Mechemache, Zohra & Corre, Tifenn, 2018. "An Environmental Tax Towards More Sustainable Food: Empirical Evidence of the Consumption of Animal Products in France," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 48-61.
    13. Tiboldo, Giulia & Boehm, Rebecca & Shah, Farhed & Moro, Daniele & Castellari, Elena, 2022. "Taxing the heat out of the U.S. food system," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    14. Edenbrandt, Anna Kristina & Lagerkvist, Carl-Johan, 2021. "Is food labelling effective in reducing climate impact by encouraging the substitution of protein sources?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    15. Jennifer A. Jay & Raffaella D’Auria & J. Cully Nordby & David Andy Rice & David A. Cleveland & Anthony Friscia & Sophie Kissinger & Marc Levis & Hannah Malan & Deepak Rajagopal & Joel R. Reynolds & We, 2019. "Reduction of the carbon footprint of college freshman diets after a food-based environmental science course," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 154(3), pages 547-564, June.
    16. Jayet, Pierre-Alain & Isbasoiu, Ancuta & De Cara, Stéphane, 2020. "Slaughter cattle to secure food calories and reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions? Some prospective estimates for France," Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), vol. 101(1), July.
    17. Kurz, Verena, 2018. "Nudging to reduce meat consumption: Immediate and persistent effects of an intervention at a university restaurant," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 317-341.
    18. Arrieta, E.M. & González, A.D., 2018. "Impact of current, National Dietary Guidelines and alternative diets on greenhouse gas emissions in Argentina," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 58-66.
    19. van Dooren, C. & Keuchenius, C. & de Vries, J.H.M. & de Boer, J. & Aiking, H., 2018. "Unsustainable dietary habits of specific subgroups require dedicated transition strategies: Evidence from the Netherlands," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 44-57.
    20. Zhaoxin Liu & Erik Ansink, 2024. "Price elasticities of meat, fish and plant-based meat substitutes: evidence from store-level Dutch supermarket scanner data," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 24-046/VIII, Tinbergen Institute.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:rae:jouraf:v:101:y:2020:i:1:p:91-116. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Nathalie Saux-Nogues (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/inrapfr.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.