Towards more sustainable dietary choices: Strategies for change in the context of Lucerne, Switzerland

Sammanfattning: Switzerland's current food system is unsustainable and responsible for 25% of the country's environmental footprint. Half of the greenhouse gas emissions from the Swiss food system are caused by meat and dairy consumption. Reducing Switzerland's GHG emissions from the food system requires an orchestrated approach, targeting amended consumption and production patterns. A primary change required is a significant reduction in meat consumption, which would lead to a decreased number of livestock and reduce the need for imported animal feed, as well as lower methane and ammonia emissions. The majority of meat is consumed in out-of-home settings, making the gastronomy sector an interesting area to target current consumer behaviour in a Swiss context. Previous research found that intervention strategies at restaurants could reduce GHG emissions from food choices through reduced meat intake. This study applies a mixed methods exploratory sequential research design. The local effects of a social norms statement intervention were tested in a restaurant in Lucerne with further insights gained through an online survey, expert interviews and literature review. This study concludes that concerted efforts targeting amended consumption and production patterns can achieve the largest reduction in emission levels from the Swiss food system, and dietary choices are the link between consumption and production patterns in the food system. Additionally, aligning health, agricultural and environmental policies is important and yields mutual benefits. Earlier studies show that the majority of the Swiss population is motivated to behave in a more environmentally friendly manner. As such, knowledge about effective measures and the availability of more environmentally friendly food options in out-of-home settings ought to be prioritised to further benefit from an environmentally friendly mindset. The focus of the effort should first lie on the 75-85% of meat eaters who have already reduced their meat intake. Increasing the availability of meat-free options and improving knowledge about the environmental effects of different food choices are important steps towards more sustainable dietary patterns in Switzerland.