Samenvatting

The global food system is a major contributor to climate change, accounting for one third of the worldwide emissions. 55% of these greenhouse gasses are created through the production and consumption of animal-based protein. While the demand for food is expected to rise due to the significant population growth, the growing need for an increasingly sustainable food system is uncovered. Existing literature suggests that a protein transition can be a promising approach to balance the consumption from animal-based to plant-based proteins. However, consumers often display resistance and experience barriers towards this alternative diet, due to taste preferences, pricing concerns and social standards that surround their eating habits. This research was conducted in collaboration with Hotelschool The Hague's Research Centre, aligning with the implementation of the Sense Manifesto—a systematic change in the school's food and beverage outlets towards a predominantly plant-based offering.

The study explores strategies to encourage plant-based consumption without eliminating consumer choice. Through analysing this Sense Manifesto, while conducting prior research on the topic of the protein transition, the following problem statement was formulated: Consumers ordering animal protein-based dishes, these meat-based dishes are offered by default. There is resistance towards vegetarian or vegan options, as there are biases in place. Therefore, strategies to solve this problem are explored. (1) Possible pathway is the
name/description of the vegetarian dish (2) not eliminating the option for animal-based proteins to avoid dissatisfaction but offering it as a requested add-on. There is little known about the influence of price on this topic, so on if the add-on should be free or as an extra paid option.

The combination of the research direction and the problem statement that was established, caused the following main research question to be created:
How can different menu descriptions and paid vs non-paid animal protein add-ons.
accelerate the uptake of plant-based dishes in a food service context?

Furthermore, the research objectives were established, to guide this study:
- Provide insights to the Research Centre through conducting research on the topic of the protein transition.
- Gain a deeper understanding of the consumer behaviour with regards to the change of the dietary habits especially when it comes to the change to a more plant-based diet.
- Research the possible pathways of implementing the sense manifesto in the student and staff outlets within HTH, especially the most effective way to implement the additional animal protein add-ons. Providing HTH with concise guidelines and recommendations on the implementation.