Reshaping Food Choice at University of Michigan

Summary

Nearly a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions originate from agriculture. Consumer demand for food, especially carbon-intensive red meats, largely underlies these emissions. Therefore, reducing consumption of red meat has the potential for transformative impacts on climate change. Our interdisciplinary team of researchers and dining staff aims to determine the carbon impact of evidence-based behavior change interventions to reduce red meat consumption at University of Michigan dining halls. Using an experimental design, we will evaluate the impacts of three "nudge" interventions (i.e., modifying environmental cues and incentives) to reduce red meat consumption in three randomly assigned treatment dining halls vis-à-vis three paired control dining halls. Nudges will include changing default food items and altering food labels. We will: 1) collect data on meals served during each intervention periods to assess the separate and combined effects of the interventions on red meat consumption; 2) conduct e-mail interviews with students to understand treatment effect heterogeneity and sociodemographic determinants of food choice; and, 3) conduct focus group discussions and interviews, respectively, with students and dining staff to assess implementation feasibility. We expect that this research will generate scalable, replicable solutions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions through dietary change at universities and similar institutions, will significantly advance the food choice literature, and will influence sustainability strategies at university dining operations nationally given the proposed team's close partnership with regional and national dining programs.

Conditions

• Climate Change
• Food Preferences

Interventions

OTHER

Taste-focused labels

We will implement taste-focused labels on plant-based dishes in each of the 3 treatment dining halls to re-brand dishes with attributes focused on the taste of the dish (e.g., renaming a "Squash with Ginger" side to "Aromatic Thai Curry Kabocha Squash With Zesty Ginger").

OTHER

Carbon impact labels

We will add labels next to all dishes served in treatment dining halls that indicate whether production of the ingredients in the dish contribute a high, moderate or low amount of carbon emissions. These labels will be absent from the same dishes served in control dining halls. Labels will be added to point-of-service signs, digital menu boards, and menu information on a mobile app.

OTHER

Changing default menu options

We will make red meat items an opt-in (as opposed to opt-out) item across all meal stations in treatment dining halls. All menu stations will exclude red meat by default, and dining hall patrons will have to request the addition of red meat to meals. At control dining halls, red meat items will be provided by default at meal stations as normal.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Graham Sustainability Institute of the University of Michigan

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• University of Michigan

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Andrew D Jones, PhD · University of Michigan

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

SEQUENTIAL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2021-08-30

Primary Completion

2022-12-18

Completion

2022-12-18

Countries

• United States

Study Locations