Exploring Sustainable Meat Consumption Intentions in a Pakistani Collectivist Culture: Utilising the Theory of Planned Behaviour

Increased globalisation, urbanisation, and a growing middle class in developing countries significantly impact food sustainability, especially within the livestock industry. The way meat is produced, processed, transported and consumed has an immense effect on environmental sustainability. From an environmental perspective, it is vital to understand better how consumers can be motivated to restrict meat consumption, particularly in non-Western countries where this area is less explored. The current study proposes a model for an emerging economy, Pakistan, where meat consumption has increased rapidly. The empirical study employed the Theory of Planned Behaviour, integrating pro-environmental attitude, perceived behaviour control and collectivist culture, to investigate sustainable meat consumption intentions (SMCI) grounded in a specific context. Data were collected from 300 meat consumers and analysed through a two-step structural equation modelling (SEM) approach, i.e. measurement and structural models. Results reported that perceived behaviour control and collectivistic culture positively influence SMCI, and the model is partially mediated through pro-environmental attitude. The study findings can help managers and policymakers to understand consumer intentions and develop actionable strategies.