Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
2025
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Sustainability
First Advisor
Meghann Jarchow
Abstract
Conventional meat consumption derived from livestock farming is one of the leading causes of greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation on our planet. Substituting conventional meat products with “meat alternatives” such as plant-based meat or cultured meat would drastically decrease greenhouse gas emissions, reduce land and water pollution, and decrease land and water usage. However, it is necessary to first gauge how people feel about eating plant-based meat and cultured meat before it is possible to discern the magnitude of environmental benefits that occur with a significant dietary change such as this. By administering a questionnaire to over 400 participants living in the Northern Great Plains (NGP), this study sought to (1) explain how residents’ identities impacted their carnism scores and (2) identify how age, income, education level, farming experience, gender, and carnism score affected NGP’s residents’ willingness to eat plant-based meat and/or cultured meat over conventional meat. Furthermore, this study identified the primary reasons why these different demographic groups would or would not choose plant-based meat and/or cultured meat over conventional meat. Based on the results of this study, residents with lower carnism levels, lower incomes, or higher levels of education were more willing to consider eating plant-based and cultured meat than residents with higher carnism levels, higher incomes, or lower levels of education. Secondly, men were more willing than women to consume cultured meat. Plant-based and cultured meats may offer a solution to reducing the environmental footprint of meat production, and results from our analyses suggest that NGP residents are generally willing to consume these meat substitutes.
Subject Categories
Agriculture | Food Science
Keywords
Agriculture Alternative Meats Carnism Livestock Farming Sustainability Sustainable Food Systems
Number of Pages
102
Publisher
University of South Dakota
Recommended Citation
Stehly, Donald Chase, "Perceptions of Plant-Based Meat and Cultured Meat within the Northern Great Plains Region" (2025). Dissertations and Theses. 381.
https://red.library.usd.edu/diss-thesis/381