Abstract

Global appetite for meat exerts a devastating toll on human and planetary health but also offers a unique opportunity to achieve both climate and health benefits through a reduction in consumption. The potential is reflected in multiple national and international policy recommendations, but the UK lags behind targets​. Urgent improvement is needed at scale and speed.

My research aims to contribute to knowledge around reduction in meat consumption by addressing the research question: what are the main barriers and levers to achieving reduction in meat consumption in Cambridge colleges? I recently surveyed Cambridge college users to explore attitudes and narratives around meat consumption, prevailing dietary habits, and key levers and barriers for meat reduction. The survey ran from the 16th of December 2024 to the 2nd of February 2025 and resulted in more than 56,000 data points from 849 responses – a response rate of approximately 3% of the entire University population. The survey data contains a highly representative sample drawn from significant contributions from all the 31 colleges, and students, staff, postdoctoral researchers, and fellows alike. My talk will reveal some of the interim findings from the survey and discuss what these could tell us about the challenges and opportunities involved in reducing meat consumption here in Cambridge.