This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Are organizations ready for plant-based food at work? A new study from the University of Copenhagen explores this question and shows that only a small proportion of workplaces in Denmark are ready for this change—despite its potential to reduce the climate footprint of workplace lunches.
In general, introducing plant-based food is likely to stir strong emotions. Partial findings are published in the journal npj Climate Action. All over the world, millions of meals are served for lunch every day at workplaces.
There is huge potential to reduce the carbon footprint of these meals if meat dishes are replaced with plant-based ones. However, according to the new study conducted by researchers from the University of Copenhagen, only a small percentage of workplaces in Denmark are ready for more plant-based lunches, and the issue can stir strong emotions. In collaboration with Jespers Torvekøkken, a canteen and catering company, the researchers investigated readiness for change across 62 workplaces in the Capital Region of Denmark and examined how different levels of readiness relate to the climate footprint of food served for lunch.
"We find that only 13% of workplaces are ready to make their lunches more plant-based, while 42% are resistant to change. The remaining 45% of workplaces show varying degrees of readiness," says Thomas Bøker Lund, lead author of the study and associate professor at the Department of Food and Resource Economics at the University of Copenhagen. "We also see a strong correlation between the level of readiness at a workplace and the type of food people eat for lunch.
Traditional Danish dishes with meat as the main ingredient are very common at workplaces that are resistant to change, while they are less common in organizations that are more ready for change," explains Mette Weinreich Hansen, co-author of the study and associate professor at the Department of Food and Resource Economics. The difference is reflected in the climate footprint of lunch food. Workplaces that are more ready for change have a 28% lower climate footprint than those that are more resistant to change.
The study also finds that change readiness is associated with both the sector in which a workplace operates and the characteristics of its employees. Workplaces with high levels of tertiary activity, including service- and knowledge-intensive sectors, tend to be more open to plant-based lunches, while resistance is more common in primary industries and production. "Employees' own food habits also matter.
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