School of Economics and Finance (ETDs)

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Browsing School of Economics and Finance (ETDs) by Author "Beghin, Alice"

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    Estimating the non-price determinants of meat demand in South Africa
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Beghin, Alice; Dikgage, Johane
    There is a pressing need to reduce our environmental footprint, mitigate food-related public health concerns, and ensure sustainable food systems. However, the overconsumption of meat directly undermines these needs. In order for policymakers to adapt policies to reduce the overconsumption of meat, an improved understanding of the drivers behind the demand for meat is required. Meat consumption per capita in developing economies has surpassed levels in developed countries, and is projected to continue increasing. We use South Africa as a case study, given that it is an emerging economy that is characterised by increased meat consumption since 1994. This trend correlates with (and is driven by) increasing per capita income and prices. South Africa’s diverse population (with widely varying incomes and cultures) complicates the regulatory framework required to reduce excessive meat consumption. To support consumers in making environmentally sustainable dietary protein choices, this study aims to gain a deeper understanding of meat-consumption behaviour by consumers, segmented on the basis of their meat consumption. Results were obtained through a 2015 survey of 600 community-dwelling household heads in Gauteng, South Africa. Three segments of consumers were identified by means of a two-step cluster analysis: heavy, average, and low meat consumers. The segments differed significantly in several socio-demographic and background characteristics. The segmented evaluation of consumer groups was confirmed by analysis of variance (ANOVA), which found statistically significant differences of mean weekly meat consumption amongst the three groups. To evaluate the non-price determinants of meat consumption, OLS, Poisson, and negative binomial models were run, and average marginal effects of a negative binomial model were analysed for both the separate consumer groups and the consumers as a whole. It was found that the importance of sustainable living shaped meat consumption for low and average meat consumers. Heavy meat consumers were driven by their enjoyment of the taste of meat and the centrality of meat in their meals. Behavioral economics-based nudges could prevent the overconsumption of meat in South Africa such as using environmental concerns to frame a meat reduction strategy, and challenging the link between meat consumption and gender identity