Irish consumers attitudes and behaviors to transitioning to more sustainable dietary

BACKGROUND: The evidence on the environmental, socio-cultural and economic impacts of current diets highlights the need for countries to develop food based dietary guidelines incorporating sustainability. This study assessed consumers current beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours to transitioning to more sustainable dietary practices. METHODS: An online quantitative survey was developed. An all-Island sample in Ireland, representative of national age and gender distribution was recruited by Qualtrics XM market research company. Ethical approval for the study was granted by the Social Research Ethics Committee of UCC and reaffirmed by Queens University Belfast. Data were analysed using STATA SE Version 17.0. RESULTS: Affordability, accessibility, nutrition, and health were the most important characteristics of sustainable diets reported by participants that influence food purchases. Almost half of respondents were not interested in eating less animal-based food (45%) and more plant-based foods (51%). However, 22% reported to have started reducing red and processed meat consumption ‘some of the time'. The most popular sustainable dietary behaviours that people were already engaged with are: eating more home-cooked meals (59%), reducing food waste through prevention (41%), and eating less discretionary foods (55%). CONCLUSIONS: Facilitating dietary change is a critical component of the transition towards more sustainable diets. A multi-pronged strategy is needed to transition to food environments that empower people to choose healthier and more sustainable options. This includes downstream actions at the individual level, including awareness and education campaigns, but more importantly upstream where strong leadership through public policies taking a whole of population approach is imperative. KEY MESSAGES: • Much work has to be done to reconnect human and ecological health, building awareness and knowledge of sustainable diets, and to make the more sustainable choice the easier, and acceptable choice. • Affordability, accessibility and nutrition and health are important characteristics of sustainable diets influencing food purchases. These need to be considered in the development of key messages.