Podcast: Gender and Plant-Based Diets

Reducing meat consumption will be pivotal for slashing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally and fighting climate change. Food production accounts for around one-third of the world’s GHG emissions, of which 60% are generated by meat. According to the EAT-Lancet Commission, global consumption of fruit, vegetables, nuts and legumes will have to double while consumption of foods such as red meat will have to be reduced by more than 50% by 2050 to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement targets.

For these reasons, more and more people around the world are deciding to stop eating meat altogether, transitioning to a vegetarian or vegan diet. Yet, for males, this transition also comes with a social stigma, due to the fact that meat consumption is commonly associated with masculinity. Data shows that two-thirds of vegans in the UK are women, while in the US this figure grows to about 80%.

In this episode, we explore why masculinity and meat consumption are highly associated, and analyse possible solutions moving forward.

Student podcast producers: Luc O’Leary, Abigail Labreck, Ciara De Buitléir and Fabrizio La Rocca. 

Guest: Alexander Huntley, The Vegan Society.

The podcast was produced as part of the Spring 2024 class “The Politics of Global Food Security,” taught by professor Christopher Hegadorn. 

Please note:  This podcast is student-produced. The views and opinions expressed in the episodes are solely those of the guests. They do not represent or reflect the position of the European Chair for Sustainable Development and Climate Transition, nor that of Sciences Po.