(PO03-08-22) Using the Default Nudge to Increase Plant-based Meal Consumption on College Campuses

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Presenting Author(s)

Angela W. Zhang, B.S
– Research Assistant, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, United States

Co-Author(s)

RB

Renate Boronowsky, BS
– University of California, Los Angeles
IB

Ilana Braverman, MS
– Better Food Foundation
CS

Chad Stecher, MA, PhD
– Arizona State University
DC

David Cleveland, PhD
– University of California, Santa Barbara
EG

Emma Garnett, MSc, MA, PhD
– University of Cambridge
MW

May C. Wang, DrPH
– University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States
JJ

Jennifer Jay
– University of California, Los Angeles

Disclosure(s):

Angela W. Zhang, B.S: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Objectives: Climate, environmental, and nutrition scientists have recommended reduced meat and dairy consumption as key to reducing adverse planetary and human health impacts. We conducted this study to (1) investigate the effect of a default plant-based nudge on participant meal choices at a higher education institution and (2) to project the footprints of these choices: greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (g CO_2-eq), blue water (m³), land use (m²), nitrogen (g N), and phosphorus (g P) usage.

Methods: Data collection was performed at two student events where catering was provided. We used a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design to determine if students presented with a plant-based meal as the default option were less likely to choose a meat option. At each event, students were randomly assigned to two groups. The control group received a RSVP form that presented a meal with meat as the default option. The intervention group received a form that presented a plant-based meal as the default. To project and compare the environmental impacts of each group, we modeled two plant-based and two meals with meat. Using these meals we calculated the footprints of two 100-person events based on the RCT meal selections.

Results: We observed a large effect size (p < 0.0001) across both experiments. In the first event (n=108) the intervention decreased the selection of meat meals by 43 percentage points (85% to 42%). In the second event (n=81) the intervention decreased meat meal selection by 56 percentage points (83% to 27%). When comparing the projected 100-person events based on the RCT meal selections, we found reductions in GHG emissions (28-59%), land use (24-59%), nitrogen (40-57%), and phosphorus (37-61%) footprints. However, we also found an increase in blue water usage (41-77%).

Conclusions: This intervention is a low-effort, high impact way to decrease the share of meals containing meat in institutional settings. Adopting a default plant-based policy may be an effective way to reduce environmental impact and encourage healthier options while maintaining choice.

Funding Sources: Better Food Foundation, National Science Foundation