This research proposal asks the question: Can the promotion of sustainable food choices during targeted global climate action events significantly alter conventional meat consumption in Canadian universities?
The proposal provides benefits to students, staff, community members and local vendors along with Food Services on campus through promoting alternatives and optimized climate action messaging.
The primary article reviewed for this research question was Larner et al. (2021) whose study on climate strike intervention provided evidence of decreases in sales for beef burgers, compared to increases in sales for chicken and meat-free burgers. Larner et al. (2021) illustrates an industry example of a consumer experiment supervised on-site in university student union buildings related to the meat-climate issue. Larner et al. (2021) study, provided evidence of a decrease in beef burger sales on the day of the Climate Strike Intervention and increases in chicken and meat-free burger sales on campus.
According to FAO (2015) emissions reduction from the livestock sector can be achieved by reducing production and consumption. Larner et al. (2021) and others postulate a “rapid dietary shift away from animal products, especially beef, lamb and dairy products is necessary to reduce diet-related GHGE and avoid further climate warming” (Camilleri et al., 2019, Rust et al., 2020, Reynolds et al., 2014 as cited in Larner et al., 2021, p. 2). The significance of Larner et al. (2021) study led to MacMillan and Dooley’s (2023) current two-year project at the Royal Agricultural University in the United Kingdom to explore what, if any, concerns farmers may have about the impact of agricultural changes for climate change related to cultured meat.
Materials
Product quantity consumption data was collected by Food Services for daily means of beef product quantity for the twelve months preceding the study which consisted of an excel spreadsheet containing data entries over seven months (Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar) prior on campus for comparison and data analysis.
At the University of Lethbridge, Chartwells manages Food Services run establishments. The Urban Market is the focus of this case study.
Descriptive statistics by group
The data provided on May 15, 2023 by Food Services was identified in groups of 7 days and therefore on month ends, the typical 7 day mean total was divided by 7 and non typical week (less than 7 days in the month beginning or end) determined the unit rate. This provided a rational number for a mean.
Figure 1 Number of Burgers Consumed at Urban Market Sept 2022-March 2023
The data can be downloaded in a spreadsheet here:
Table 1 Calculation of Daily Mean from Weekly Consumption Report Burgers.xls
| Date (September) | # of Burgers | Average (per day each week) |
| 9/3/22-9/9/22 | 342 | 48.857 |
| 9/10/22-9/16/22 | 454 | 64.857 |
| 9/17/22-9/23/22 | 371 | 53 |
| 9/24/22-9/30/22 | 386 | 55.142 |
| Total | 1553 | 221.857 |
| Mean | 55.464 | 55.464 |
| 10/1/22-10/7/22 | 457 | 65.286 |
| 10/8/22-10/14/22 | 250 | 35.714 |
| 10/15/22-10/21/22 | 344 | 49.143 |
| 10/22/22-10/28/22 | 375 | 53.571 |
| 10/29/22-10/31/22 | 158.14 | 52.713 |
| Total | 1584.14 | 256.427 |
| Mean | 51.101 | 51.285 |
| 11/1/22-11/4/22 | 210.86 | 52.715 |
| 11/5/22-11/11/22 | 117 | 16.714 |
| 11/12/22-11/18/22 | 251 | 35.857 |
| 11/19/22-11/25/22 | 252 | 36 |
| 11/26/26-11/30/22 | 186.43 | 37.286 |
| Total | 1017.29 | 178.57 |
| Mean | 33.91 | 35.714 |
| 12/1/26-12/2/22 | 74.57 | 37.285 |
| 12/3/22-12/9/22 | 234 | 33.429 |
| 12/10/22-12/16/22 | 249 | 35.571 |
| 12/17/22-12/23/22 | 85 | 12.143 |
| 12/31/22 | 16.7 | 16.7 |
| Total | 659.27 | 135.128 |
| Mean | 21.267 | 27.026 |
Table 2. Mean Scores of Product Quantity Means per Day Each Month
| Sep 2022 | Oct 2022 | Nov 2022 | Dec 2022 | |
| mean | 55.464 | 51.285 | 35.714 | 27.026 |
Figure 2 Daily Mean Beef Burger Consumption at the Urban Market Sept 2022-March 2023
The non-directional null hypothesis posits that the September 2023 daily mean consumption will not differ significantly (p > .05) from the reported September 2022 daily mean consumption at the Urban Market of 55.464 . The alternative hypothesis posits that the September 2023 daily mean consumption will be significantly different (p < .05) from the reported September 2022 daily mean consumption at the Urban Market of 55.464 .
Data collected by Food Services at the University of Lethbridge was used as a framework to identify the Independent Variable (IV) factors as the months: September, October, November, December, January, February, March and Dependent Variable (DV) to be sum of burger sales averaged mean each week.
With all these factors presented on product quantity and timing of climate action, this research proposal aims to determine if a difference in the means of product quantity of beef is a function of the timing of climate action.
This result will then be compared to other campuses across Canada, such as the sustainability food website featured on University of Victoria website UVic Sustainability Food
Appendices
To view output from an R script, R studio is required to be installed. https://www.rstudio.com/tags/rstudio-ide/
R studio can be installed on any desktop or laptop and one of these two devices is a required material to view the data and replicate the study.
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