Regional place attachment and meat reduction: The role of perceived availability of traditional vegetarian meals and attachment to culinary traditions

Meat consumption is among the most environmentally impactful human activities. Therefore, reducing meat-based food consumption represents a crucial step in addressing climate change. Despite growing recognition of the role of socio-cultural factors, alongside individual and environmental influences, in shaping meat consumption, many of these factors remain underresearched. The present study examined the association between regional place attachment and intentions to reduce meat consumption, focusing on the mediating roles of perceived availability of vegetarian dishes at the regional level and attachment to regional culinary traditions. The proposed model was tested using path analysis on a representative sample of 4,066 Italian individuals (Mage= 51.05, SDage= 16.57, range= 18-89, 51.50% women). Although regional place attachment was not directly associated with intentions to reduce meat consumption, the mediation analyses revealed two indirect effects operating in opposite directions. Regional place attachment was linked to a greater intention to reduce meat-based dishes through the perceived regional availability of vegetarian options. At the same time, regional place attachment was associated with stronger attachment to regional culinary traditions, which in turn was linked to a lower intention to adopt a sustainable diet. Overall, these findings underscored the complex role of regional place attachment in shaping intentions to reduce meat consumption and pointed to potential avenues for innovative, community-based interventions.