A new narrative for the protein shift

Abstract

Nutrition is one of the areas where this behavioral change is necessary. In that area, we see a positive evolution taking place in Flanders today. The number of flexitarians, vegetarians, and vegans has risen sharply in recent years. And more and more Flemish people indicate that they want to eat less meat in the future. The Flemish are - more than ever - open to plant-based alternatives. With the protein shift, the Flemish government wants to perpetuate and accelerate this evolution towards an environmentally responsible and healthy diet. The way we communicate about the protein shift to a broad public plays an important role. What words do we use? How can we convince the Flemish to choose a plant-based meal more often? And how do we ensure that everyone can and wants to participate? These questions form the basis of the path we describe in this document. Our objective: a narrative with concrete recommendations for the partners of the 'Green Deal Protein Shift on our plate' to communicate about the 'protein shift'. We built this narrative in co-creation with an extensive group of actors of the 'Green Deal'. It is based on research and insights from experts on food, environment, climate, health, and communication. Finally, we tested the narrative with a diverse group of Flemish people. This document describes our process, the most important insights, and our conclusion: a new narrative for the protein shift in Flanders.