UNDERSTANDING THE INTENTION TO CONSUME PLANT-BASED MEAT ALTERNATIVES: THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOR AND VALUES ORIENTATION PERSPECTIVE

Meat production is considered a significant contributor of GHG emissions in the environment. One of the ways to address this environmental problem is to reduce the consumption of meat amongst individuals through meat avoidance or through substitution with plant-based meat alternatives. This study utilized the value-belief-norm (VBN) theory and theory of planned behavior (TPB) to further understand and determine the influences on intention towards consumption of plant-based meat alternatives as seen through the lens of pro-environmental behavior and from an Asian perspective. A total of 420 millennial respondents participated in the study. Results show that all the TPB constructs namely, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control are significant predictors of intention to consume plant-based meat alternatives. The results also established that the influence of egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric value orientations on the intention to consume plant-based meat alternatives is fully mediated by attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Implications on the marketing and development of communications on promoting plant-based meat alternatives are further discussed. Keywords: pro-environmental behavior, plant-based meat alternatives, sustainable consumption