Understanding Eating Habits and Dietary Preferences that can Accelerate Positive Climate Actions
Creators: name: Ma, Jingyi
name: Wang, Vivian
name: Meyer, Morgane
name: Wang, Mandy
name: Bhutta, Noor
Publisher: name: The University of British Columbia
Year: 2024

description: Food systems are major contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide (Crippa et al., 2021). Animal-based foods emit more than twice the GHG than plant-based foods (Xu et al., 2021). Additionally, refined grains emit more than 20% of GHG when compared to whole-grains (Mitchell et al., 2024). Shifting diets towards a climate-friendly diet (low in red meat and refined grains) can show benefits. In the UBC context, more than 21% of GHG emissions are from the University’s food system (Vockeroth, n.d.). Because universities can have a lot of power in local food systems, due to the number of students living and using the campus–in UBC’s case that is about 60,000, the size of a mid-sized town–understanding eating patterns and dietary preferences of students is crucial to accelerate positive climate actions. The purpose of this research was to develop a comprehensive understanding of UBC students’ eating habits and dietary preferences at home and on campus, and identify barriers affecting adoption of these habits. The research objective explores students' eating habits across demographics and situations and analyzing factors influencing consumption patterns. Based on this data, an action plan was developed to promote sustainable dietary choices. Recommendations were to be derived that could contribute to the advancement of the Climate Action Plan (CAP) 2030. The project utilized Community-Based Action Research (CBAR), by gathering data directly from the researchers' community through various forms of interactions, e.g., survey questions, in-person, and future actions formulated for the community. Methods included secondary data collection via a literature review and primary data collection through a Qualtrics survey conducted from March 7th to March 23rd, 2024. Promotion of the survey involved undergraduate societies, the Graduate Student Society (GSS), professors, personal networks, posters, and in-person outreach. The literature review provided foundational knowledge, while the survey yielded insights into UBC students' dietary preferences. Firstly, our findings show that disparities in dietary preferences exist across different demographics such as ethnicity and faculty, e.g., omnivorous preferences were common among Latin American, Korean, and Chinese students, while Caucasians and Southeast/South Asians were likelier to be vegetarians or vegans. Secondly, there is a notable trend of consuming more meat when dining out compared to eating at home, influenced by lack of knowledge on meat cooking methods, cost considerations, and availability. Thirdly, students prioritize price, taste, and nutritional value when purchasing food products, with environmental impact ranking relatively low. Challenges are faced by survey respondents in adopting climate-friendly diets on campus due to limited knowledge, unclear labeling, and perceived higher costs. Reluctance to switch to climate-friendly diets is influenced by concerns about taste, price, and lack of awareness about the environmental impact of dietary choices. Factors influencing decisions regarding climate-friendly options include price, accessibility, and awareness. The discussion investigates the potential misconception of climate-friendly foods, e.g., taste, not a good source of protein, one of the factors deterring students from shifting patterns. Other factors that influence the adoption of a climate-friendly diet on campus are lack of awareness of what a climate-friendly diet constitutes of and where to find these foods on campus, the perception of the climate-friendly food label by students, and the availability, or lack of, climate-friendly food on campus. Limitations of our research include sample bias and representation issues, the potential influence of social desirability bias when responding, and the survey design and project time line. Recommendations from this research span short-, mid-, and long-term initiatives, as well as suggestions for future studies. Short-term recommendations include recognizing student diversity in information campaigns and employing both longitudinal (e.g., empowering student leaders) and latitudinal (e.g., integrating sustainability into curriculum) approaches. Mid-term suggestions involve menu modifications, such as having an all climate-friendly food menu with the option of meat additions, while long-term strategies entail campus-wide adoption of the Climate-Friendly Food Label and a product emission database. Future research should focus on understanding perceptions of the Climate-Friendly Food Label and assessing program effectiveness.latitudinal (e.g., integrating sustainability into curriculum) approaches. Mid-term suggestions involve menu modifications, such as having an all climate-friendly food menu with the option of meat additions, while long-term strategies entail campus-wide adoption of the Climate-Friendly Food Label and a product emission database. Future research should focus on understanding perceptions of the Climate-Friendly Food Label and assessing program effectiveness. Disclaimer: “UBC SEEDS provides students with the opportunity to share the findings of their studies, as well as their opinions, conclusions and recommendations with the UBC community. The reader should bear in mind that this is a student project/report and is not an official document of UBC. Furthermore readers should bear in mind that these reports may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC. We urge you to contact the research persons mentioned in a report or the SEEDS Coordinator about the current status of the subject matter of a project/report.”