IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/sustdv/v34y2026is2p204-221.html

Towards Sustainable and Ethical Food Systems: Exploring Consumer Motivations and Strategies for Plant‐Based Eating

Author

Listed:
  • Camila Augusto Perussello
  • Silvia Caprioglio Panizza
  • Ana Herrero‐Langreo

Abstract

Transforming global food systems is crucial for mitigating environmental degradation, reducing the global disease burden and protecting sentient individuals from harm. Despite overwhelming evidence linking animal‐sourced foods to ecological damage, resource depletion and public health challenges, gaps remain in promoting sustainable consumption. This urgency is compounded by the scientific recognition of animal sentience, which elevates animal use to a moral issue. This study combines empirical data from a survey of 500 respondents with a literature review to explore motivations and behaviours driving plant‐based eating. Key suggested interventions to foster a responsible food system include: (i) raising awareness of animal rights, (ii) disseminating nutritional and environmental knowledge, (iii) reforming agri‐food subsidies, (iv) promoting plant‐based food research, commercialisation and consumption and (v) fostering social inclusion and positive recognition of vegan identity. By addressing psychological, social and structural barriers to animal‐free diets, this study offers actionable strategies for advancing a sustainable future.

Suggested Citation

  • Camila Augusto Perussello & Silvia Caprioglio Panizza & Ana Herrero‐Langreo, 2026. "Towards Sustainable and Ethical Food Systems: Exploring Consumer Motivations and Strategies for Plant‐Based Eating," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(S2), pages 204-221, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:sustdv:v:34:y:2026:i:s2:p:204-221
    DOI: 10.1002/sd.70295
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.70295
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/sd.70295?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bethuel Sibongiseni Ngcamu, 2023. "Climate change effects on vulnerable populations in the Global South: a systematic review," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 118(2), pages 977-991, September.
    2. 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.
    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. Irene Blanco-Gutiérrez & Consuelo Varela-Ortega & Rhys Manners, 2020. "Evaluating Animal-Based Foods and Plant-Based Alternatives Using Multi-Criteria and SWOT Analyses," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-26, October.
    2. Vermunt, D.A. & Wojtynia, N. & Hekkert, M.P. & Van Dijk, J. & Verburg, R. & Verweij, P.A. & Wassen, M. & Runhaar, H., 2022. "Five mechanisms blocking the transition towards ‘nature-inclusive’ agriculture: A systemic analysis of Dutch dairy farming," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    3. Thomas O’Shea & Dónall Cross & Mark G. Macklin & Chris Thomas, 2025. "Advancing Sustainability and Resilience in Vulnerable Rural and Coastal Communities Facing Environmental Change with a Regionally Focused Composite Mapping Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-25, September.
    4. Li, Yilin & Chen, Bin & Li, Chaohui & Li, Zhi & Chen, Guoqian, 2020. "Energy perspective of Sino-US trade imbalance in global supply chains," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    5. Birgit Kopainsky & Anita Frehner & Adrian Müller, 2020. "Sustainable and healthy diets: Synergies and trade‐offs in Switzerland," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(6), pages 908-927, November.
    6. Nuno Aluai Carvalho & Maria da Conceição Martins, 2024. "Education to Promote Healthy and Sustainable Eating Habits: A Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(22), pages 1-14, November.
    7. Ejovi Akpojevwe Abafe & Yonas T. Bahta & Henry Jordaan, 2022. "Exploring Biblioshiny for Historical Assessment of Global Research on Sustainable Use of Water in Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-34, August.
    8. Ethan Gordon & Federico Davila & Chris Riedy, 2022. "Transforming landscapes and mindscapes through regenerative agriculture," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(2), pages 809-826, June.
    9. Elke Stehfest & Willem-Jan Zeist & Hugo Valin & Petr Havlik & Alexander Popp & Page Kyle & Andrzej Tabeau & Daniel Mason-D’Croz & Tomoko Hasegawa & Benjamin L. Bodirsky & Katherine Calvin & Jonathan C, 2019. "Key determinants of global land-use projections," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, December.
    10. Bauer, Jan M. & Aarestrup, Simon C. & Hansen, Pelle G. & Reisch, Lucia A., 2022. "Nudging more sustainable grocery purchases: Behavioural innovations in a supermarket setting," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    11. Fan, Xiangwen & Wang, Haodan & Winiwarter, Wilfried & Zhao, Zhanqing & Bai, Zhaohai & Ma, Lin, 2025. "Peri-urban ammonia emissions in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei decrease with restructuring of China's livestock industry," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 228(C).
    12. Nouve, Yawotse & Zheng, Yuqing & Zhao, Shuoli & Kaiser, Harry M. & Dong, Diansheng, 2024. "A detailed demand analysis of plant-based meat alternatives vs. animal-based meat in the United States," 2024 Annual Meeting, July 28-30, New Orleans, LA 343798, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    13. Jiarui Liu & Azusa Oita & Kentaro Hayashi & Kazuyo Matsubae, 2022. "Sustainability of Vertical Farming in Comparison with Conventional Farming: A Case Study in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, on Nitrogen and Phosphorus Footprint," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-18, January.
    14. Renate Boronowsky & Kevin Lin-Yang & Lucretia Natanson & Kira Presley & Yashvi Reddy & Alexis Shenkiryk & May Wang & Wendelin Slusser & Pamela A. Koch & David A. Cleveland & Shannon Roback & Deborah O, 2025. "The Carbon Footprint of School Lunch: Moving Toward a Healthy and Sustainable Future for the Next Generation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-21, March.
    15. Daniel H. Pope & Johan O. Karlsson & Phillip Baker & David McCoy, 2021. "Examining the Environmental Impacts of the Dairy and Baby Food Industries: Are First-Food Systems a Crucial Missing Part of the Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems Agenda Now Underway?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-15, December.
    16. Bin Fan & Mingyang Li, 2022. "The Effect of Heterogeneous Environmental Regulations on Carbon Emission Efficiency of the Grain Production Industry: Evidence from China’s Inter-Provincial Panel Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-27, November.
    17. Hales, Jan & Kemper, Joya & White, Samantha K. & Veer, Ekant, 2024. "Reflections on food policy in the context of healthy and sustainable diets," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    18. Eleftherios Giovanis & Oznur Ozdamar, 2025. "The transboundary effects of climate change and global adaptation: the case of the Euphrates–Tigris water basin in Turkey and Iraq," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 68(4), pages 1935-1972, April.
    19. Giller, Ken E. & Andersson, Jens & Delaune, Thomas & Silva, João Vasco & Descheemaeker, Katrien & van de Ven, Gerrie & Schut, Antonius G.T. & van Wijk, Mark & Hammond, Jim & Hochman, Zvi & Taulya, God, "undated". "IFAD Research Series 83: The future of farming: who will produce our food?," IFAD Research Series 322005, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
    20. Rajani Shakya & Smita Khan, 2026. "Climate Change and Livability: A Systematic Review of Adaptation Strategies and Policy Challenges," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(S1), pages 1282-1308, January.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:wly:sustdv:v:34:y:2026:i:s2:p:204-221. 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: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-1719 .

    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.