Educational presentations reduce meat consumption across two universities

Reducing consumption of animal products is crucial to addressing the climate crisis. Educational interventions have shown promise in promoting plant-based diets, but questions remain regarding their generalisability. Across two experiments, we examined whether brief, targeted video interventions could influence real-world dietary behaviours in university settings. Study 1 (n = 39) employed food vouchers as a behavioural measure, revealing a significant effect: participants who watched a video focusing on the environmental tolls of animal agriculture (versus plant-based foods) were 2.5 times more likely to redeem their vouchers for vegetarian/vegan meals compared to the control group. Study 2 expanded the intervention scope (employing both an environmental- and ethics-focused intervention) and altered the outcome measure (measuring vegan vs omnivorous meal choices at a university formal dinner). Study 2 (n = 102) effectively reduced selections of meals containing meat, but the effect was weaker than in Study 1. Methodological differences and sample limitations may explain the effect size discrepancies. These experiments highlight the potential of educational interventions for meat reduction in university contexts. To expand on this study’s results, we encourage future research to explore sustained dietary changes post-intervention, rather than single meal choices, and to test a variety of intervention videos.