Research commissioned by Aleph Farms, published on May 11, 2021 in Foods, has indicated cultivated meat is likely to make up a part of consumers’ future diets. The study reportedly showed patterns of greater openness to trying such products by younger generational groups. 87-89% of Gen Z adults, 84-85% of Millennials, 76-77% of Gen X, and 70-74% of Baby Boomers were at least somewhat open to trying cultivated meat.
Led by Keri Szejda, PhD, researchers surveyed 2,018 US and 2,034 UK consumers, assessing indicators of adoption among the general population, and by generational segments.
The majority of consumers surveyed were not familiar with cultivated meat, but upon being presented with a description of the product, respondents, on average, imagined cultivated meat could make up about 40% of their future meat intake, with conventional meat constituting around 60%, the researchers said.
40% of consumers were “very” or “extremely likely” to try cultivated meat in both the US and the UK. This group of triers was categorised as the “early majority” group. Of this specific cohort, 98-99% said they would consider welcoming it as a regular item in their shopping basket. The vast majority of the early majority were omnivores (94-95%) who consume meat 2-3 times per day in a typical week.
“In order to turn this expected acceptance into actual consumption patterns over time, it is critical to develop the right products, based on the right solutions,” said Didier Toubia, Co-Founder and CEO of Aleph Farms, which commissioned the research. “In the long term, Aleph Farms' vision is to provide a better alternative to industrial livestock farming, which represents approximately 70% of global meat production today.”
Szejda, PhD, Founder and Principal Research Scientist of North Mountain Consulting Group said: “We observed an increase in support for the technology once consumers had access to additional information, underscoring the importance of effective science communication for consumer adoption.”
Sociodemographic analyses comparing the early majority groups to the general population suggest that the early majority are more often younger (Gen Z or Millennials), male, more liberal, and more educated. In the US and the UK, an average of 77% of Gen X and 74% of Boomers were open to trying it, in comparison to 85% of Millennials, and 89% of Gen Z.
“In contrast to the younger eager adopters, the older generations are more wary of change,” explains Toubia. “Social proof is important to them and they want to be assured that a product is safe, functional, and beneficial before they adopt it,” said Toubia.
