Meat consumption exerts considerable environmental burden on the planet. This problem is rising on the research agenda across multiple social scientific disciplines including sociology, geography, social psychology and innovation studies.

NGOs, the food industry and citizen-consumers are also increasingly engaged with the topic. In this context a range of efforts to influence meat consumption are currently underway including attempts to persuade consumers to change eating patterns through awareness raising campaigns, documentaries, and the provision of alternative protein products.

As yet however, these efforts have had done little to reduce UK meat consumption. Consequently, collaborative discussion about how emerging insights from social scientific research might contribute stimulating the required changes, offers benefits to both the academic community and wider society.

On 9th November, a half-day workshop event at the University of Manchester will bring together academics working on meat-related research with stakeholders engaged with stimulating changes in food consumption in order to exchange knowledge and generate opportunities for future research, using:

• 'Lightening talks’ by academic researchers
• Panel discussion with industry experts
• Participant generated video capturing insights from the event

The schedule for the day will run as follows:

12.00-1.00: Registration and opportunity for video contributions

1.00-1.10: Introduction and workshop aims

Jo Mylan, University of Manchester & Carol Morris, University of Nottingham

1.10-2.30: Academic lightening-talks

Chair, Mike Goodman, Professor of Environment & Development, University of Reading

Researchers will communicate key insights from their current research in a 5 minute presentation.

• Judy Swift, University of Nottingham: What has meat ever done for us?
• Nicklaus Neuman, Upsalla University: Changing role of meat in the British diet
• Alison Browne, University of Manchester: Meat eating in urban China

Q&A

• Richard Twine, Edge Hill University: Understanding vegan transition
• Piia Jallinoja, University of Tampere: Building epic veggie eating in a meat-praising culture
• Jonas House, University of Sheffield: Insects as food

Q&A

• Alexandra Sexton, University of Oxford: Is Big Tech the future of meat? 
• Carol Morris, University of Nottingham: Less meat in the media
• Jo Mylan, University of Manchester: Meat reduction in everyday life

Q&A

2.30-3.00: Coffee break and opportunity for video contributions

3.00-4.00: Stakeholder panel: Views from the field

Chair, Carly McLauchlan, Director Tyndall Manchester

• Jennifer Pardoe: Director, Plant Based 2 Business
• Angeliki Stogia, Councilor and Head of Manchester Food Board
• Sarah Pullen, Director of Development, Feel Good Family
• Peter Harrison, UK Marketing Director, Quorn Foods

4.00-4.15: Break

4.15-5.00: Roundtable discussion: Future research

• Identifying priorities for research, policy and practice for meat reduction.
• Highlighting opportunities for collaboration.
• Drawing out key messages from the day.

5.00: Close and final opportunity for video contributions

To register your interest click here or for more information email: josephine.mylan@manchester.ac.uk

Main image courtesy of Xlibber, procured with a Creative Commons licence.