| Abstract: |
Food choices and in particular meat consumption have major impacts on the
local and global environment, which is why the topic is gaining attention in
environmental economics and other disciplines. In this study, we investigate
the effect of increased visibility on food choices, for which there has been
little research to date. We present findings from a field experiment among
researchers at a large environmental economics conference. When registering
for the three-days conference and prior to choosing between vegan, vegetarian,
or meat/fish lunches, half of the participants were informed that their choice
would be visibly printed on their conference name badge. The remaining half
were informed of this saliency only after their food choice (at the conference
venue). Despite the conference setting in which environmentally friendly
choices and signals are likely to be valued, we find no significant effect of
the treatment on lunch choices. We discuss possible reasons for the null
effect, including that the consequences of visibility are ignored, discounted,
or already factored in. |