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MEATigation: Meat in Norwegian Food Practices: Eating

How to get Norway closer to reaching its mitigation goals through meat?

This project is part of the NTNU lead project MEATigation: Towards sustainable meat use in Norwegian food practices for climate mitigation.

About the project

MEATigation joins eleven researchers in Social Sciences Humanities and Arts with nine industry partners in food provision and sustainability communication to investigate a key challenge facing Norway’s transition to a low-emission society: transforming the food system.

A reduction in Western meat consumption is critical for global food security, respecting planetary boundaries and improving global health. However, even when positive to climate action, Europeans are reluctant to reduce their meat consumption, especially in the Nordic regions. This is because meat is not just calories: It is culture. Meat is deeply embedded in social practices that weave together meanings, identities and values; competences, skills and professions; materials, animals and landscapes that all go into making meat.

Objectives

MEATigation’s primary objective is: To explore how meat is embedded in Norwegian food practices and to identify ways to promote sustainable meat-use in Norway.

In this part of the project, households are at the center, and we will examine how their food practices contribute to meat consumption, as well as how this is explained and/or justified by various actors. Furthermore, we will investigate which conditions facilitate or make it difficult to reduce meat consumption in Norwegian households.

For the Meatigation project as a whole, sustainability is articulated following the 3Rs of sustainable meat-use:

  • R1 Recognising the animals and people working to provide meat
  • R2 Replacing animal-based proteins with plant-based, insect-based or in-vitro alternatives
  • R3 Refining meat-use to match needs versus wants, reduce waste and malnutrition (e.g., obesity).

MEATigation investigates the 3Rs of sustainable meat-use through data collection with households, farms, retailers, restaurants, and via experimentation with dietary and art-based interventions.

MEATigation has three further secondary objectives, to:

  • Deliver sound and usable advice to decision-makers in government and industry on best practices for sustainable meat-use;
  • Stimulate public engagement with sustainability and meat, and a methodological meta-objective;
  • Pursue responsible research and innovation (RRI), engage private and public stakeholders to produce project outcomes.

Achieving these objectives will get Norway one step closer to reaching its 2030 mitigation goals through meat.

Duration

2020 –2024

Financing

The Research Council of Norway

Cooperation

NTNU, Universitetet i Oslo, Wageningen University, Leeds University, Maastricht University, Southampton University and LSE. 

Industry partners: MENY, Grønne Folk, Myrvangen Gård, Brattlia Økogård, Snerting Ranch, Stammen Café,  Folkekjøkken, Ducky, bioartists Cathrine Kramer and Zackery Denfeld and the pop group Chicks on Speed.

Publications

  • Hansen, Arve & Wethal, Ulrikke Bryn (2023). ‘It's just pølse’: Convenient meat consumption and reduction in Norway. Appetite. ISSN 0195-6663. 188. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.106611. Full text in Research Archive
  • Hansen, Arve; Wethal, Ulrikke Bryn; Efstathiou, Sofia & Volden, Johannes Rudjord (2023). Towards plantification: contesting, negotiating and re-placing meaty routines. Consumption and Society. doi: 10.1332/WPKF9257.
  • Sundet, Øyvind; Hansen, Arve & Wethal, Ulrikke Bryn (2023). Performing meat reduction across scripted social sites: exploring the experiences and challenges of meat reducers in Norway. Consumption and Society. doi: 10.1332/ZGZV3476. Full text in Research Archive
  • Volden, Johannes (2023). Doing (food) without meat? Accomplishing substitution and qualifying substitutes in household food practices. Consumption and Society. doi: 10.1332/APSQ9102. Full text in Research Archive
  • Loeng, Martin & Korsnes, Marius (2023). Unravelling the Norwegian meat reduction controversy: navigating contested sustainabilities and the role of meat. Consumption and Society. 2(2), p. 281–299. doi: 10.1332/CXSI8930. Full text in Research Archive
  • Finstad, Terje (2022). "Å sette maten i banken." Momenter fra fryseboksanleggenes historie. In Finstad, Terje; Kvaal, Stig; Stokland, Håkon B. & Østby, Per (Ed.), Matens meglere. Kontroll, kvalitet og kunnskap i den industrielle matens tid. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISSN 978-82-02-65233-3. p. 161–189. doi: https:/doi.org/10.23865/noasp.155.
  • Efstathiou, Sofia (2022). Performing ‘meat’: meat replacement as drag. In Bruce, Donald & Bruce, Ann (Ed.), Transforming food systems: ethics, innovation and responsibility. Wageningen Academic Publishers. ISSN 978-90-8686-387-7. p. 412–417. doi: https:/doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-939-8_64. Full text in Research Archive
  • Morris, Carol; Kaljonen, Minna; Aavik, Kadri; Balázs, Bálint; Cole, Matthew & Coles, Ben [Show all 30 contributors for this article] (2021). Priorities for social science and humanities research on the challenges of moving beyond animal-based food systems. Humanities & Social Sciences Communications. ISSN 2662-9992. 8:38, p. 1–12. doi: 10.1057/s41599-021-00714-z. Full text in Research Archive
  • Volden, Johannes & Wethal, Ulrikke Bryn (2021). What Happens When Cultured Meat Meets Meat Culture? (Un)Naturalness And (Un)Familiarity In The Meat Of Today And Tomorrow. In Hansen, Arve & Syse, Karen Lykke (Ed.), Changing Meat Cultures: Food Practices, Global Capitalism, and the Consumption of Animals. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISSN 978-1-5381-4265-3. p. 185–206.
  • Hansen, Arve; Jakobsen, Jostein & Wethal, Ulrikke Bryn (2021). New Geographies of Global Meatification: The BRICS in the Industrial Meat Complex. In Hansen, Arve & Syse, Karen Lykke (Ed.), Changing Meat Cultures: Food Practices, Global Capitalism, and the Consumption of Animals. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISSN 978-1-5381-4265-3. p. 35–58.
  • Hansen, Arve & Syse, Karen Lykke (2021). New Meat Engagements: Cultures, Geographies, Economies. In Hansen, Arve & Syse, Karen Lykke (Ed.), Changing Meat Cultures: Food Practices, Global Capitalism, and the Consumption of Animals. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISSN 978-1-5381-4265-3. p. 1–16.
  • Hansen, Arve (2021). Eating a Capitalist Transformation: Economic Development, Culinary Hybridization, and Changing Meat Cultures In Vietnam. In Hansen, Arve & Syse, Karen Lykke (Ed.), Changing Meat Cultures: Food Practices, Global Capitalism, and the Consumption of Animals. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISSN 978-1-5381-4265-3. p. 99–120.
  • Efstathiou, Sophia (2021). Meat we don’t greet: How ‘sausages’ can save pigs or how effacing livestock makes room for emancipation. In Hansen, Arve & Syse, Karen Lykke (Ed.), Changing Meat Cultures: Food Practices, Global Capitalism, and the Consumption of Animals. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISSN 978-1-5381-4265-3. p. 102–112.

View all works in Cristin

  • Hansen, Arve; House, Jonas & Rein, Angelique Kristine (2024). The global meat replacement complex and its geographies: Production, provision, consumption.
  • House, Jonas; Wertheim-Heck, Sigrid & Hansen, Arve (2024). What does it mean to replace meat? The ontological politics of meat substitution across cultural contexts .
  • Hansen, Arve (2023). Fastlåste mat(u)vanar: Kan vi endre kjøtforbruket?
  • Volden, Johannes (2023). Probing protein futures: Experimental geographies and everyday edible insect consumption .
  • Volden, Johannes (2023). Probing protein futures: Everyday experimentation and edible insect consumption .
  • Korsnes, Marius (2023). Melkedrikkingen går ned. Intervju med Marius Korsnes. [Radio]. Nea Radio.
  • Hansen, Arve; Sundet, Øyvind; Volden, Johannes & Wethal, Ulrikke Bryn (2023). Hvorfor er det så vanskelig å spise mindre kjøtt? Forskersonen.no.
  • Hansen, Arve (2023). Kva skal til for å endre kjøtforbruket?
  • Hansen, Arve & Wethal, Ulrikke Bryn (2023). Meat consumption and reduction in Norwegian households.
  • Korsnes, Marius (2023). Food within the Planetary Boundaries. What will we eat in a sustainable future? Examples from Norway.
  • Hansen, Arve (2023). Kvifor er det så vanskeleg å redusere kjøtforbruket?
  • Sundet, Øyvind (2023). Kjøttforbruk: hvorfor er det vanskelig å redusere – selv for de som ønsker det?
  • Hansen, Arve & Ording, Oda (2023). Avdekket veggis-gåte: - Overraskende. [Newspaper]. Dagbladet.
  • Hansen, Arve & Haanæs, Øystein Rygg (2023). Ekspertintervju: Kjøttvaner er vonde å vende. [Journal]. Energi og klima.
  • Volden, Johannes (2023). Can edible insects become the new meat? Exploring consumers’ experimentation with insect foods in everyday life.
  • Efstathiou, Sophia (2023). MEATaphysics: The found science of meat alternatives or how food biotech is creating new meat ontologies.
  • Efstathiou, Sophia (2023). Re-founding meat: From flesh to plant-based.
  • Efstathiou, Sofia & Ibáñez Martín, Rebeca (2023). For the love of meat: A conversation. Consumption and Society. doi: 10.1332/YIVS3129.
  • Efstathiou, Sophia; Murray-Leslie, Alexandra Nicki; Johnson, Leslie Jeanne; Logan, Melissa. E.; Tromokratisch, Kangela & Andrea, Unnur [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2023). MEAT & Drag.
  • Efstathiou, Sophia & Bayesteh, Mohammad (2023). Again and Again.
  • Efstathiou, Sophia & Kendig, Catherine (2023). Surrealing: Making real as founding and finding.
  • Hansen, Arve (2023). The stubbornness of meaty routines: Meat consumption and reduction in Norway.
  • Murray-Leslie, Alexandra Nicki; Efstathiou, Sophia; Logan, Melissa. E.; glas, kathi; Cathrine, Kramer & Tromokratisch, Kangela [Show all 15 contributors for this article] (2023). MEATIGATION - Meat Reduction in Norway.
  • Hansen, Arve; Sundet, Øyvind; Volden, Johannes & Wethal, Ulrikke Bryn (2023). Friday tacos and outdoor barbeques: Re-configuring ‘institutionalized meals’ towards meat reduction in Norway .
  • Korsnes, Marius; Hansen, Arve; Sundet, Øyvind; Volden, Johannes & Wethal, Ulrikke Bryn (2023). The Circulation of Meat: How contemporary food practices reproduce the demand for meat in Norway.
  • Volden, Johannes (2023). Panelist.
  • Volden, Johannes (2023). Reconstructing meatiness: insights from ‘everyday experimentation’ with meat substitution in Norway.
  • Hansen, Arve (2022). The geographies of everyday meat consumption in Norway: Stubborn food practices and meat-intensive foodscapes.
  • Wethal, Ulrikke Bryn (2022). The Norwegian sausage: Exploring meaning and materiality in ‘convenient’ meat consumption .
  • Hansen, Arve (2022). (Un)sustainable consumption and everyday life.
  • Efstathiou, Sophia (2022). Meat without meat: The found science of meat and contemporary vegan biotech .
  • Efstathiou, Sophia & Papalexandri-Alexandri, Marianthi (2022). Sounding Secrets.
  • Efstathiou, Sophia (2022). Interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity in action.
  • Volden, Johannes (2022). Doing (food) without meat? The role of meat substitutes in the food practices of meat lovers, meat reducers, and meat avoiders .
  • Korsnes, Marius & Loeng, Martin (2022). How have animals become embedded in Norwegian foodways?
  • Efstathiou, Sophia (2022). The found science of meat alternatives-How food biotech is creating new meat concepts .
  • Efstathiou, Sophia (2022). Considering meat replacements as drag.
  • Efstathiou, Sophia (2022). Meat we don't greet: How industrialisation facilitates the end of meat.
  • Efstathiou, Sophia & Loeng, Martin (2022). MEATigation presents: Eat Like your Grandparents -Reducing meat the old way.
  • Korsnes, Marius & Loeng, Martin (2022). The Constitution of Demand for Animals in Norwegian Foodways.
  • Loeng, Martin & Korsnes, Marius (2022). Veganske mattradisjoner i Norge.
  • Volden, Johannes (2022). Doing (food) without meat? Accomplishing substitution and qualifying substitutes in household food practices.
  • Volden, Johannes (2022). Tomorrow’s food today: What can consumers’ self-experimentation with plant-based meat and edible insects tell us about the future of protein?
  • Volden, Johannes (2022). Tomorrow’s foods, today’s practice? Visceral encounters with alternative proteins in everyday life.
  • Korsnes, Marius (2022). Kor mykje er nok? Forsking på forbruk av kjøt og mjølk.
  • Volden, Johannes (2022). Tomorrow’s food today? Barriers and opportunities for alternative proteins in household food practices.
  • Hansen, Arve; Wethal, Ulrikke Bryn; Volden, Johannes & Sundet, Øyvind (2022). Kjøttskam eller ribbeglede?
  • Hansen, Arve & Wethal, Ulrikke Bryn (2022). Meat consumption and reduction in Norway: Social sites, materials, agency.
  • Volden, Johannes (2022). Kjøttets framtid i forbruket: Muligheter og barrierer for å legge om matvaner fra konvensjonelt kjøtt til alternative proteiner og kjøttreduserende praksiser fra et forbrukerperspektiv.
  • Sundet, Øyvind (2022). Performing meat reduction: exploring the experiences, approaches and challenges of Norwegian meat reducers.
  • Sundet, Øyvind (2022). Performing meat reduction: exploring the experiences, approaches and challenges of Norwegian meat reducers.
  • Hansen, Arve (2022). National development and contested (de)meatification in Vietnam and Norway.
  • Hansen, Arve & Wethal, Ulrikke Bryn (2022). The power of the pølse: Foodscapes, convenience food and everyday geographies of meat consumption and reduction in Norway.
  • Efstathiou, Sofia; Thorseth, May Britt; Ursin, Lars Øystein; Gamlund, Espen; Lysaker, Odin & Børresen, Bergljot (2022). Freya: Moralske refleksjoner post mortem. [Internet]. Salongen.
  • Efstathiou, Sofia & Kanerva, Minna (2022). MEAT meets! Minna Kanerva. [Internet]. YouTube.
  • Efstathiou, Sofia; Kaljonen, Minna & Lonkila, Annika (2022). MEAT meets! Minna Kaljonen and Annika Lonkila . [Internet]. YouTube.
  • Efstathiou, Sofia & Roscher, Mieke (2022). MEAT meets! Mieke Roscher . [Internet]. YouTube.
  • Efstathiou, Sofia (2022). Meat Intelligence.
  • Efstathiou, Sofia; Sadredini, Mani & Coutinho, Silvia Ribeiro (2022). MEAT meets! Mani Sadredini . [Internet]. YouTube.
  • Efstathiou, Sofia; House, Jonas & Volden, Johannes (2022). MEAT meets! Jonas House . [Internet]. YouTube.
  • Efstathiou, Sofia (2022). Recognise, Replace, Refine: 3Rs for sustainable meat use.
  • Efstathiou, Sofia (2022). Performing ‘meat’: meat replacement as drag.
  • Efstathiou, Sofia (2022). Recognise, Replace, Refine: 3Rs for sustainable meat-use as guides for RRI.
  • Efstathiou, Sofia (2022). Performing ‘meat’: meat replacement as drag.
  • Volden, Johannes (2022). The Emergence of Cell-Cultured Meat: A brief introduction.
  • Hansen, Arve; Korsnes, Marius; Sundet, Øyvind; Volden, Johannes R. & Wethal, Ulrikke Bryn (2021). Holdningsendring alene gir ikke kjøttkutt. SUM-bloggen.
  • Hansen, Arve; Korsnes, Marius; Sundet, Øyvind; Volden, Johannes R. & Wethal, Ulrikke Bryn (2021). Kjøttkutt krever politisk styring! Klassekampen. ISSN 0805-3839.
  • Volden, Johannes R. (2021). Mat, helse og bærekraft: Hvilken rolle spiller mat for bærekraftig utvikling? Mat og helse i skolen. ISSN 1890-3193. p. 28–34.
  • Volden, Johannes Rudjord (2021). The quest for sustainable protein: Introduction. Matlære.
  • Efstathiou, Sophia; Murray-Leslie, Alexandra Nicki; Duch, Michael Francis; Logan, Melissa. E. & Ocher, Mary (2021). Meet me over Meat.
  • Efstathiou, Sophia (2021). Technologies of Effacement in Meat Production.
  • Efstathiou, Sophia (2021). Meat we don't Greet: How ‘sausages’ can save pigs or how effacing livestock makes room for emancipation.
  • Efstathiou, Sophia & Engvik, Inga Vinje (2021). «Misbruk av dyr er noe som i stor grad tas for gitt og ikke stilles spørsmål ved». [Journal]. Kultur Plot .
  • Efstathiou, Sophia (2021). Tavros – On animal resistance.
  • Efstathiou, Sophia (2021). WP1: Founding meat in Norwegian food practices – Challenges and Proud Moments.
  • Efstathiou, Sophia (2021). UPCYCLED Cookbook -Having a brainstorm.
  • Efstathiou, Sophia (2021). Meat we don’t greet.
  • Volden, Johannes (2021). The quest for sustainable protein: Meat from plants? Matlære.
  • Korsnes, Marius (2021). Matters of Concern in the Norwegian Sustainability Transition.
  • Efstathiou, Sophia (2021). Meat we don’t greet: How ‘sausages’ can save pigs or how effacing livestock makes room for emancipation.
  • Efstathiou, Sophia (2021). Design and Technologies of Effacement.
  • Dumitriu, Anna; Musiol, Hanna; Hessler, Stefanie; Muenster, Ursula; Jørgensen, Dolly & Efstathiou, Sophia [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2020). “BioArt, Research, and the Pandemic: Uncertain Histories and Unstable Futures in the Art of Anna Dumitriu,” a conversation with Anna Dumitriu and guests. NTNU ARTEC Seminar Series.
  • Efstathiou, Sophia (2020). Meat without meat.
  • Efstathiou, Sophia & Stubberud, Elisabeth (2020). WP1: Founding meat in Norwegian food practices.

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Published Aug. 7, 2020 2:08 PM - Last modified June 11, 2024 10:51 AM