Australia has one of the highest per-capita meat-consumption rates in the world, eating far more meat than global or OECD averages, according to Professor Andrew McGregor, from Macquarie University's School of Communication, Society and Culture.
The environmental and health arguments for reducing consumption are well-established, yet the plant-based meat industry has struggled to move from niche curiosity to mainstream staple.
Professor McGregor's recent paper, Assembling the plant-based meat proposition: Towards food systems transitions in Australia, published with colleagues in Australia and the UK, explores why, despite major investment and improved product quality, Australians remain hesitant to opt for plant-based alternatives to meat.
How do we combat this? The answer, he says, lies not only in flavour and affordability, but also in deeply ingrained habits, cultural norms and expectations about what "meat" should be.
Ecological and health benefits are many
The ecological case for change is significant. Cattle are among the highest-emitting sources of food we consume. "Livestock as an industry contributes about 14.5 per cent of global emissions," Professor McGregor explains, noting that enteric fermentation (cattle burps) is the biggest source of livestock emissions.
Beyond emissions, he points to land and water impacts, and even deforestation pressures.
"Cattle are the most land-intensive, and much of the deforestation in Queensland is driven by the expansion of cattle industries," he says.
Professor Andrew McGregor believes Australian attitudes are shifting regarding meat alternatives.
Health is another key motivator for reducing red meat consumption. Australians are very big meat eaters, and Professor McGregor links overconsumption to "a range of diseases such as heart disease, cancer and obesity" – in part because intake often far exceeds dietary recommendations.
Taste and price matter, but culture matters more
While the plant-based meat sector often frames its main challenges as taste, texture and price, Professor McGregor says this isn't the whole story.
"Even if you had the best-tasting, most price-competitive plant-based meat, there is still going to be all sorts of challenges to get that accepted within society," he says.
These challenges include the power of habit – people are used to buying animal meats – and deeper questions about identity, such as "is plant-based meat actually meat, or is it still plants?" There are also cultural expectations to contend with, particularly the link between meat and Australian masculinity. Barbecue traditions continue to reinforce red meat as the default choice.
Placement in supermarkets and restaurant menus also influences acceptance. Professor McGregor also notes it is only recently that chefs are being trained in cooking plant-based meats, helping normalise the option in dining settings.
"Over time, plant-based meats have moved from this niche thing mainly for vegans and vegetarians to a broader acceptability," he says. "Although there is a long way to go before they will compete with the popularity of animal products."
The psychology of the first bite
Introducing new foods comes with challenges, especially when consumers expect them to taste like familiar favourites. First impressions matter. "When people try one of the cheaper alternatives and have a bad experience, then they may not come back to it again for several years," Professor McGregor says.
Expectation also shapes perception. He shares the example of diners who unknowingly enjoyed plant-based "fish" at a restaurant in Sydney's Newtown, only to react negatively when they returned to order the same dish and realised it was a plant-based product. "Even though they enjoyed the meal they said, 'We'll never come back here again'," he says.
This points to a deeper question: what is meat? For plant-based substitutes to succeed, he argues that "meat shouldn't be defined by the animal that it comes from, but by the substance and the flavours".
Plant-based meats still face scrutiny at the backyard barbecue and on the dinner table.
He also notes that some cultivated meat companies, which grow meat in bioreactors, are experimenting with entirely new flavour profiles rather than trying to mimic beef or chicken.
"One of the reasons Vow is doing Japanese quail is because no one's really ever tasted it before… you're not comparing it to chicken. Instead, you're trying something new and you're educating the person on the flavour," he says.
Getting more plant-based meat on the barbie
Australia's barbecue culture is shifting, but slowly. It is now common to see at least one vegetarian option at gatherings, yet plant-based meats still face scrutiny because they are compared to animal versions. Professor McGregor believes reframing is essential.
"While some vegetarian sausages mimic the flavours and textures of animal meat they will never taste exactly the same and they shouldn't be compared in this way. They're supposed to taste really good in themselves," he explains.
He imagines future barbecues where beef sausages, mushroom sausages, soy and other plant-based options sit side by side – offering diversity rather than direct substitution.
His own experience shapes how he approaches these conversations. As vegan for 15 years, and two decades as a vegetarian before that, he often takes plant-based options to social gatherings to encourage gentle experimentation.
"I've taken my sausages to barbecues and people are curious," he says. "They might say, 'Oh, it's not the same or it's not as good', but once they think about the unique tastes and flavours plant-based meats provide, a lot of them begin to appreciate it more."
Broadening the national food debate
One of the paper's key recommendations is to expand the conversation beyond the plant-based meat industry itself. Professor McGregor calls for dialogue between environmental groups, health organisations, government and even the conventional meat sector.
"There needs to be a bigger conversation within society about the role of meat among growing environmental and health crises," he says, noting that simply placing products in supermarkets and hoping consumers choose them is not enough.
He argues that a national food strategy should address Australia's high levels of meat consumption and consider how plant-based products, including vegetables, legumes, nuts and other non-meat options, can support healthier and more sustainable diets.
Despite a slowdown after COVID-19, with some plant-based restaurants closing and supermarket momentum easing, Professor McGregor remains optimistic. "There has been a slowdown, but at the same time, the cultural acceptability and physical infrastructure for plant-based meats is slowly spreading," he says. "Public familiarity has increased, and I still see a positive future for the industry."
Professor Andrew McGregor is a human geographer in the School of Communication, Society and Culture, and a member of the University's Ethics and Agency Research Centre.
