Are we out to lunch? Are the dietary strategies we share on social media effective in mitigating climate change?

Abstract

To mitigate climate change, it is necessary to shift global dietary patterns towards lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. How the public pursues this goal is important, and social media data offer an opportunity to assess popular opinion. Here I explore which climate-motivated-eating strategies are communicated in a sample of Twitter and Instagram posts, and consider the evidence that supports these strategies for reducing GHG emissions. From posts shared between June 4 - August 14, 2018, a total of 120 climate-motivated-eating strategies were mentioned, which were grouped into 30 strategic themes. A targeted literature review was then used to consider the evidence supporting these strategies for reducing GHG emissions. Though climate-motivated- eating strategies shared on Twitter and Instagram were generally well-aligned with contemporary academic knowledge on how food systems contribute to GHG emissions, important misconceptions were identified. These should be corrected to ensure meaningful progress towards climate change mitigation through dietary choice.