How the food environment drives the protein transition

The story is familiar: we are living beyond the means of our planet, and this is especially true for people in the Western world. We use more resources and require more land than the Earth can sustain. To live within planetary boundaries, we need to adapt our lifestyles. By eating more plant-based foods at the expense of animal-based products, we can already make a significant difference. The production of meat and dairy requires enormous amounts of water, energy and land.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) has set the goal that by 2030, plant-based and animal-based proteins will be consumed in equal proportions. The Dutch Health Council points to a ratio of 60 percent plant-based and 40 percent animal-based as a long-term aim. Various scientific sources present even more ambitious targets: an 80/20 ratio would be truly sustainable and healthy. In any case, the message is clear: a protein transition is necessary. Less meat and dairy, more plant-based proteins in our meals.

In the Netherlands, that transition is not moving quickly, as shown by the RIVM Food Consumption Survey. The most recent survey (2019–2021) found that 58 percent of protein consumed in the Netherlands still comes from animal sources, while 42 percent comes from plants. In recent years, the shift towards plant-based has been just 3 percent. “It’s not moving very fast,” says Marleen Onwezen, behavioural sciences lead at Wageningen Social & Economic Research. She has been involved in the Protein Monitor, which has been mapping Dutch protein consumption since 2023 on behalf of LNV. The monitor also reveals why consumers opt for plant or animal proteins, how these products are made available in supermarkets, and how they are presented. 

For many people, meat and dairy are still the norm. According to Onwezen, this is partly because decision-makers in retail fear losing customers: “They hold on to the existing norm, assuming that changing it will mean loss of revenue. Yet many studies show that people are in fact open to eating more plant-based foods instead of meat and dairy. But it has to be easy and accessible. After work, people are tired and don’t feel like trawling through cookbooks.”

Onwezen argues that three factors are essential for changing behaviour: “The first is the environment. Think of supermarkets, where meat and dairy still dominate, but also the social environment you are part of. The second is motivation: you need to want to switch to more plant-based proteins, otherwise you will simply ignore all the products and advertisements that cross your path. The third is ability: you need to know how. If you don’t know where to start or what recipes to use, it becomes much harder.” 

The good news, she says, is that there are many positive developments: “Look around and you see good initiatives supporting the transition. Restaurants increasingly present the plant-based option as the default. Some supermarkets are giving plant-based products more prominent shelf space. But these are still small steps, often focusing on only one factor – ‘environment’, ‘motivation’ or ‘skills’. The next step is a more integrated approach, combining interventions. For example, adapting the food environment so that plant-based products are more visible, while at the same time triggering consumers to reflect on environmental benefits, and supporting them in cooking with plant proteins. We need to understand where consumers’ needs lie and design solutions that bring all three factors together.”

According to Onwezen, the reason this is still too rare is that economic and technological perspectives remain dominant in addressing complex social issues. “That is changing. Behavioural scientists are increasingly being involved in these challenges, but often only at the end, when consumer opinions are to be tested. I would like to see behavioural science integrated earlier, at the core: where are consumers’ needs, and what solutions can help make plant-based the default choice?”

There are real opportunities to shift the social norm. But the supply side must also adapt, with more plant-based products available and given more prominence. “When you walk through a supermarket today, animal products have more shelf space, are sold in larger portions and promoted more. And in many restaurants, there are still more meat dishes on the menu than plant-based ones.”

Public organisations could also play a stronger role, says Muriel Verain, senior researcher at Wageningen Social &  Economic Research. Together with colleagues, she studied how ministries, provinces, municipalities, schools, universities, hospitals and other public organisations could shift their food policies towards plant-based offerings. Based on current provision, bottlenecks and successful solutions, they drew up recommendations for these organisations. “It starts with motivation,” stresses Verain. “You need a champion within the organisation, and management must support the transition. But cooks and catering staff must also want it: they are the ones preparing the food. It helps if the organisation has a clear story: this is why we want to do this together.”

Sometimes financial support is needed, Verain notes: “For instance, to train chefs in plant-based cooking or to organise workshops and tastings. An organisation has to be willing to invest in the transition. The incentives will differ: in a hospital, they may not be the same as in a school canteen. So tailor the interventions to your audience. Start with small steps and go for quick wins: replacing cow’s milk with oat milk in coffee is an easy change.”

It also helps if an organisation has a clear policy, guiding the tendering of catering contracts. “Include a clear protein transition target and monitor progress. Then everyone knows where the organisation is heading, and the catering partner can determine how to contribute.”

Verain and her colleagues selected ten best practices from the public sector. “With these cases we want to show that, although it is challenging, it can succeed. They may inspire other organisations to start. Roughly half of the organisations went cold turkey and switched to plant-based as the default. The first three weeks brought some protests, but then the resistance faded. The other half switched step by step, almost unnoticed. Whichever route they took, once the change had been made, the new food policy became the new normal.”

This is an important insight for policymakers, she adds: “For many organisations, the transition to plant-based as the new normal is a major step. Fear of resistance can deter them, even when plans are ready. But is this fear justified? For me, this is worth further study.” 

Back to the consumer. How do we bring them along in the protein transition? According to Verain, there are multiple routes: “One strategy is to focus on traditional protein-rich foods like beans, pulses, nuts and seeds. They already fit into our diet but could play a more central role. For other consumers, meat and dairy substitutes may be more suitable: the same meal, but swapping meat for a plant-based alternative. Consumers who strongly value meat might be persuaded to make more sustainable choices, for example chicken instead of beef, as chicken has a lower environmental impact. You can also encourage eating meat less often or in smaller portions. Then there is another route, focusing on new protein sources such as insects, cultured meat or seaweed. That one is still more distant from our plates.”

Onwezen adds: “Each consumer group requires a suitable route. For the dedicated meat eater, a smaller portion or another cut of meat is a better starting point than beans and pulses. For the flexitarian, a meat substitute can be a good initial alternative, ideally moving gradually towards more unprocessed foods. I strongly believe we need to pursue all these paths to reach different consumer groups. And whatever group you are in, there is always room to make more sustainable choices.”

The protein transition is far from easy, as shown by a regional pilot in the rural municipality of Altena, carried out with the Green Protein Alliance (a coalition of businesses, NGOs, education and research institutions). While steps were taken to raise awareness among residents, involve local entrepreneurs and make plant-based products more appealing, the pilot also revealed that change takes time. “For example, we worked with restaurants to make menus more plant-based. In the end, we lacked the time to inspire owners and help them act. We also tried to get supermarkets to increase plant-based shelf space, but store managers are often too busy with other priorities. Time and attention are crucial to activate stakeholders. Local governments, such as municipalities and provinces, also play a role here. They can put the issue on the political agenda, provide funding, and take on a coordinating role.”

According to Verain, Altena demonstrated what a food-environment approach can look like in practice: “We achieved positive results by addressing people’s motivation, skills and environment. We hope to have inspired other regions to try a similar integrated approach.”

This once again underlines the crucial role of the food environment in the transition. Onwezen believes it is time for supermarkets to activate different, more sustainable mechanisms: “Place green shopping baskets at the entrance. Consumers who choose such a basket may then be more inclined to fill it with sustainable products.”

Verain also sees opportunities: “I would love to experiment with supermarket shelves. What happens if you place tins of beans and pulses above the beefsteaks? Shelf design could make people think more critically about which protein source to buy.”

One thing is clear for Onwezen and Verain: consumer behaviour will only change in the long term if consumers both want to and are able to change, and if the food environment supports them. And then there is a suitable route for every consumer group, even the most dedicated meat eater, who may still respond to the message ‘Less, but better’. “Sustainable choices are strongly tied to people’s values and sense of morality,” says Onwezen. “That requires a food environment that provides the right incentives – whether it’s the supermarket, local government, hospital or football canteen. Consumers are willing; now the environment must follow.”