Mariam Alzaabi

It’s about time that I go back to writing, I remember starting this website with my name as the domain in order to publicize myself as a full-time artist. However, life does work in miraculous ways doesn’t it?

I had been reading about the ethics of our food consumption patterns for as long as I remember. Still, my family and colleagues figured that my knowledge was unreliable since I didn’t have the “experience” to educate them about it. Therefore, in 2017, I decided to change my career and pursue my master’s in environmental studies. I was fortunate enough to get a sponsorship at Victoria University of Wellington.

Hope you enjoy reading it! https://researcharchive.vuw.ac.nz/xmlui/handle/10063/9390

The highest form of human excellence is to question oneself and others.

Socrates, 469–399 B

Abstract:

Over the past few decades, rising meat and dairy consumption have had increased environmental implications, ranging from soaring greenhouse gas emissions to river pollution in Aotearoa New Zealand. Recent studies suggest the importance of altering meat and dairy consumption attitudes to reduce environmental damage. Researching people’s meat and dairy consumption drivers is crucial in understanding behavioural change and encouraging alteration in meat and dairy consumption attitudes. Changing people’s attitudes around meat and dairy consumption is vital to reducing environmental degradation. Furthermore, moving towards a less meat- and dairy-intensive diet can be beneficial not only for the environment but also for personal values and ethics. This research aims to understand how some people in New Zealand perceive their attitudes around meat and dairy consumption and its implications for the environment and contribute to behavioural change. The qualitative research methodology was applied to understand four drivers that define people’s attitudes towards meat and dairy consumption. These drivers stem from domain-specific value- and ethics-based attitudes. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect in-depth data on how individuals perceive the environmental implications of meat and dairy consumption from faith-based, health-based, environmental ethics and animal welfare viewpoints. Implications of these drivers and their combinations to inform behavioural change are discussed, as well as how findings from this research can inform behavioural change. Further, this research aims to contribute to future educational campaigns that encourage sustainable choices for individuals whose values and ethics drive their attitudes around meat and dairy consumption.