The 2024 EAT-GlobeScan Grains of Truth report provides valuable insights into the evolving global food systems from a consumer perspective. The report highlights a critical juncture in the global dietary transition: while consumers are eager for change, challenges such as cost, taste, and ingrained habits remain significant barriers.
Our latest findings indicate that the widespread adoption of plant-based foods is hindered by economic constraints, taste concerns, and difficulty changing familiar habits. Although 68 percent of people worldwide express interest in consuming more plant-based foods, only 20 percent do so regularly, down from 23 percent in 2023. This suggests that enthusiasm alone is insufficient to drive a shift to plant-based diets. Key barriers include cost (cited by 42%), taste (35%), and lack of familiarity with plant-based foods (30%).
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
As food prices have increased during the cost-of-living crisis, many consumers have reverted to cheaper, familiar foods. Plant-based options remain inaccessible for many, necessitating a re-evaluation of pricing and availability to become mainstream. Subsidies for producers and tax incentives for consumers, especially in regions where cost is the primary barrier, can be a solution moving forward. Investing in research and development while considering cultural food preferences – notably to address the flavor barrier – will also be crucial in creating products that meet consumers’ tastes and expectations.
These insights are based on the Grains of Truth 2024 research which draws on a four-year collaboration between GlobeScan and EAT on public views on the food system (based on a representative online survey of more than 30,000 people across 31 markets).
Survey Question: What prevents you from eating more plant-based foods? Select the two reasons that most prevent you from eating more plant-based foods. Plant-based foods are defined as foods that come only from plants or beans – that is, they are free of meat or dairy.
Source: GlobeScan-EAT Optimism & Obstacles: Grains of Truth 2024 Report (survey of 30,216 people in the general public in July ‒ August 2024)
