Exploring sustainable protein adoption: an analysis of drivers influencing the acceptance of Novel Food alternatives among young Austrian consumers

This Master Thesis study addresses the increasingly complex topic of sustainable protein sources’ introduction in the Western market, necessary due to the environmental challenges posed by the traditional meat industry. By focusing specifically on insect-based food and cultured meat, the research aims to enhance the understanding of the drivers influencing the general acceptance of these two alternatives among young Austrian consumers. To do so, a quantitative study has been conducted through an online questionnaire with validated scales measuring the influence that Neophobia, Disgust, Social Influence, Trust and Fear of Contamination constructs exert on Intention to consume these alternatives. Results confirm four out of ten developed hypotheses, thus revealing how Neophobia, Social Influence and Trust positively influence the intention to consume insect-based food among Austrian youth, with Trust emerging as the most impactful driver. Conversely, Disgust exerts a negative impact. In the case of cultured meat, only Neophobia and Trust are positively associated with consumption intent. Fear of Contamination could not be linked to any of the two constructs, however, a positive correlation is established between this and Disgust. The study contributes to the current research efforts in making sure a further understanding of insects-based food and cultured meat consumers' acceptance is achieved, other than providing valuable elements for companies to leverage to achieve a successful market implementation. Ultimately, the study contributes to moving forward in terms of sustainable, safe and healthy nutrition. Limitations include time and financial constraints; the sample size might not represent the entire young population in Austria. Researchers are called to act upon these elements, other than increasing the number of drivers studied and deepening relationships standing between them.