Exploring the Relationships Between Product Attributes Food Consumption Goals and Positive Behavioral Outcomes to Inform Product Development and Positioning of Meat Substitutes

Abstract

This thesis is the result of a long journey, which started more than two years ago when my ignorance of profound harmful impacts of the meat industry was challenged and I was shaken. Since then, I have immersed myself in a journey full of professional and personal growth, discoveries and disappointments, doubts and revelations, setbacks and moments of true happiness. All the experiences I encountered and the people I met shaped and transformed me to where I am and who I am today. Thus, I would like to take a moment and express my sincere gratitude. First of all, I would like to thank to my supervisor Florian Kock for a super exciting start that fueled my motivation, for giving me space and freedom to explore my research capabilities and for guiding me in choosing the approach for my thesis. Also, thanks to my co-supervisor Alexander Josiassen for a meeting when I really needed that, and for an advice. I am thankful to the CBS Library staff for responding promptly to my requests and for getting books/articles that the library did not have. I would also like to express my gratitude to all the people who participated in one or more stages of my research. I would not have written this paper without the data you provided. Thanks to the Good Food Institute and Dansk Vegetarisk Forening for engaging in communication with me. I am grateful to Sharon M. McIntyre for her inspirational course in marketing, warmth, encouragement, wise advice and eye-opening insights about me. I am thankful to Dr. Warren Nilsson and Francois Bonnici for their Social Innovation course and for giving me the possibility to work on my own research project on finding ways to reduce meat consumption in South Africa. Also, to Dr. Kurt April for creating the right environment, providing with the tools and giving thought-provoking assignments, which in combination brought me closer to my calling and purpose. Thanks to David Pedersen for sharing his expertise in this area with me. I am deeply grateful to my parents for their care and emotional support throughout these months and for instilling the right approach to work in me. To my Dad for his dedication and love for research, which he has conveyed to me. To my Mom for her care, help and sacrifices. To my sister Vinga for those calls and emotional support during the last months. To my brother-in-law Vykintas for the expert advice and help when my computer crashed and I needed to work on the paper. To my brother Žygintas, sister-in-law Toma and my little nephew for your understanding when I could not participate in an important family event. I am grateful to my mentor Terry whose support I have always felt even though we reside in different countries. Thank you for your messages and for believing in me. To my friends, especially Indrė, Vaida and Rasa for our frequent communication and for sending your love and positive vibes to me. To Ieva for her competent advice, constructive feedback and the encouragement. Thanks to my colleagues for their good wishes. Most of all, I am grateful to my boyfriend for all those difficult times he stood by me. Thank you for being a shoulder to cry on when I needed, for being my strength when I was weak, for listening to all my frustrations, for seeing the best in me, for giving me faith when I was losing it. Thank you for your love, true friendship, maturity, wisdom, the right set of values, your encouragement and the great support. You are the greatest gift from above. Finally, I am grateful to Denmark and CBS for the opportunity to pursue this recognized in the world education as well as complete an MBA exchange semester in Cape Town, South Africa. I am dearly grateful for all this.