The main findings
Citizens attach meaning to three key factors in policy acceptance; fairness, effectiveness and trust.
More than half of participants indicated they would accept a policy banning factory-farmed meat advertisements on publicly owned billboards.
Overall, perceptions of the policy range from neutral to somewhat positive. The findings show that most participants fall within the zone of policy acceptance. At minimum, they would tolerate the measure if it were implemented locally, reasoning that any climate effort is better than none. That said, only a smaller portion of participants expressed strong support, to the extent that they would actively advocate for the policy through high-effort actions.
A smaller but more vocal group opposed the policy. Their resistance mainly stems from seeing the policy as overly intrusive. While some would voice dissatisfaction if it required little effort, very few would engage in high-effort resistance. This is because their opposition is not absolute, they still value municipal action on climate change, but believe this policy is the wrong approach.
What can we learn from this?
This study shows us that a policy acceptance model can provide insight into not only whether a policy will be accepted, but also why it may or may not be. These findings can be used to improve acceptance, and ultimately higher levels of compliance. Depending on the policy or its context, there may need to be more focus on communication of the policy itself, or instead on the problem it intends to solve.
About the report
“Policy Acceptance: A Ban on Meat Advertising” is available here:
For all media requests including access to the full reports, please contact: consumerobservatory-eitfood@greenhouse.agency
About EIT Food Consumer Observatory
Powered by EIT food, Consumer Observatory brings together research and consumer insight organisations to produce bespoke research and unique insights from the agrifood community. Its goal is to maximize the impact of consumer insights on agrifood topics, providing greater knowledge and guidance to stakeholders, educators, policymakers, and businesses, ultimately driving informed, consumer-focused change in the agrifood system.
Find out more about the Consumer Observatory.
EIT Food is the world’s largest and most dynamic food innovation community. It accelerates innovation to build a future-fit food system that produces healthy and sustainable food for all.
Supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union, EIT Food invests in projects, organisations and individuals with shared goals for a healthy and sustainable food system. EIT Food unlocks innovation potential in businesses and universities, creating and scaling agrifood startups to bring new technologies and products to market. Equipping entrepreneurs and professionals with the skills needed to transform the food system, EIT Food puts consumers at the heart of its work, helping build trust by reconnecting consumers to the origins of their food.
