Title

Where’s the meat? An evaluation of diet and partisanship identification

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to comprehensively evaluate the connection between dietary choice and partisanship affiliation among the US population. Food has the potential to be a powerful factor connected to identity and political behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach: This study analyses survey data (including frequency distributions, cross-tabulations and Tobit regression models) from the Natural Marketing Institute’s 2016 LOHAS database with a total sample population of 4,134.

Findings: The results provide a platform for further exploring the interaction and effect of diet and partisan affiliation as it applies to political outcomes and market activities. This study confirms that individuals identify as either a Democrat or unaffiliated are more likely to report a vegan or vegetarian-based diet compared to Republicans. However, unaffiliated respondents are also just as likely as Republicans to report a red meat-intensive diet. Gender, race and education level are consistent explanatory factors across the entire population for influencing self-reported dietary behaviour, but location lifestyle factors, such as marital and employment status, influence partisan groups differently.

Research limitations/implications: The reliance of self-reported diet and partisan affiliation of respondents among US respondents.

Originality/value: Most research examining diet and political activities mostly stem from vegan and vegetarian identity research. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation on the relationship between diet and partisan affiliation in the broader public.

Department(s)

Agribusiness, Education, and Communication

Document Type

Article

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-03-2019-0193

Keywords

Diet politics, Dietary preference, Food policy, Food politics, Republican vegan

Publication Date

12-25-2019

Journal Title

British Food Journal

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS