MEATigation: Towards sustainable meat-use in Norwegian food practices for climate mitigation

A reduction in Western meat consumption is critical for global food security, respecting planetary boundaries and improving global health. However, even when positive to climate action, Europeans are reluctant to reduce their meat consumption, especially in the Nordic regions. This is because meat is not just calories: It is culture. Meat is deeply embedded in social practices that weave together meanings, identities and values; competences, skills and professions; materials, animals and landscapes that all go into making meat. MEATigation’s primary objective is: To explore how meat is embedded in Norwegian food practices and to identify ways to promote sustainable meat-use in Norway. ‘Sustainability’ is articulated following the ‘3Rs’ of sustainable meat-use: R1 Recognising the animals and people working to provide meat, R2 Replacing animal-based proteins with plant-based, insect-based or in-vitro alternatives, and R3 Refining meat-use to match needs versus wants, reduce waste and malnutrition (e.g., obesity). MEATigation investigates the ‘3Rs of sustainable meat-use’ through data collection with households, farms, retailers, restaurants, and via experimentation with dietary and art-based interventions. MEATigation has three further secondary objectives, to: Deliver sound and usable advice to decision-makers in government and industry on ‘Best practices for sustainable meat-use’; Stimulate public engagement with sustainability and meat, and a methodological meta-objective; Pursue responsible research and innovation (RRI), engage private and public stakeholders to produce project outcomes. Achieving these objectives will get Norway one step closer to reaching its 2030 mitigation goals through meat.