Chinese consumers reveal growing appetite toward plant-based foods, ProVeg flags

13 Jun 2024 --- A new report by ProVeg International has found that 98% of Chinese consumers will choose a higher volume of plant-based foods once they are informed of the benefits, particularly in relation to health and plant-based lifestyles. 

The report, titled “China and Plant-based Food: Attitudes and Opportunities,” is based on 1,000 consumers living in the cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

The findings include a Matrix that shows which benefits of plant-based eating people most agree with, next to the benefits that would most persuade them to actually change their diet.

“We found that most people are concerned that they eat healthy food and that once they know just how healthy and climate-friendly plant-based food is, they will eat a lot more of it,” says Shirley Lu, managing director and Asia & China Representative at ProVeg.

“The report will serve as a useful reference for food manufacturers to support educational marketing of plant-based foods in China. There is clearly huge potential for growth and our research will help companies tap into that.”

Reasons for going plant-based
Those surveyed were given 15 benefit statements on plant-based foods, 14 of which were based on international research. The participants were then asked to “agree” or “disagree” with the statements.

They were also asked which of the 15 statements would be most effective in persuading them to eat more plant-based food. This data was then plugged into an “Agreement/Persuasion Matrix” and divided into four quadrants.

The research by ProVeg was carried out earlier this year to gauge knowledge around the benefits of plant-based foods.Quadrant 1 of the Matrix allows companies to see which statements have both the strongest agreement and the strongest persuasive power. The leading statement in Quadrant 1 states that “plant-based diets tend to lower body mass index (BMI) and reduce obesity rates and thereby lower rates of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.”

Other statements in Quadrant 1 that were strongly agreed upon and most persuasive for dietary change stated that plant-based diets are high in calcium and bioavailability, provide adequate protein and are iron-rich. These can be used by food manufacturers for an easy breakthrough into the market.

Quadrant 2 of the Matrix pinpointed which benefit statements received low agreement but were strongly persuasive in terms of getting people to switch to more plant-based food.

The most persuasive statement was in Quadrant 2, which states that plant-based foods allow people to lower their risk of developing antibiotic resistance due to animal-based foods.

The second-highest statement in Quadrant 2 focused on animal agriculture being responsible for up to 80% of rainforest destruction. The third-highest statement states that beef and dairy milk production are among the biggest sources of methane, which is 80 times more potent than CO2 in terms of warming the atmosphere over 20 years.

Quadrant 2 statements can be used by manufacturers to enhance awareness to prompt action in favor of more plant-based eating.

Consumer willingness to change in China
After hearing all 15 statements on the benefits of plant-based foods and being shown the scientific source material to back them up, a remarkable 98% of total respondents were either “strongly willing” or “willing” to add more plant-based food to their diet.

“China boasts a rich heritage of plant-based diets and a wealth of healthy plant ingredients. Government agencies, educational institutions and plant-based food businesses can leverage this study to educate consumers about the benefits and impact of plant-based diets,” Lu notes.

“By highlighting the health, environmental and culinary advantages, we can collectively work toward transforming our food system to one that is beneficial for humans, plants and animals alike,” she adds.

Edited by Elizabeth Green