The Power of One: How Individuals Can Drive Institutional Change
The environmental movement has recently leaned toward collective action over individual action, as Naomi Klein argued in her commencement address to College of the Atlantic:
The hard truth is that the answer to the question ‘What can I, as an individual, do to stop climate change?’ is: nothing. You can’t do anything. In fact, the very idea that we — as atomized individuals, even lots of atomized individuals — could play a significant part in stabilizing the planet’s climate system, or changing the global economy, is objectively nuts. We can only meet this tremendous challenge together. As part of a massive and organized global movement.
Although the existential problems facing our world require systemic transformation — through government and corporate policies — which can’t be accomplished through individuals acting alone, individual and systemic change need not be mutually exclusive. In fact, individual actions remain essential. Food system advocacy provides a real-world example of the synergistic power of individual and collective action.
The Power of Behavior Change
For decades, veganism was commonly perceived as a fringe diet for radical hippies. However, as more people became concerned about factory farming, as vegan options expanded beyond mushy veggie patties, and as mainstream figures from Bill Clinton to Beyoncé extolled the benefits of plant-based diets, vegan food gradually became palatable to broad swaths of the general public, of all racial and socioeconomic backgrounds.
As more and more people began eating plant-based, a curious phenomenon emerged. Those who initially went veg for their health — often upon the recommendation of their doctors — then became interested in learning about the impacts of the food system on the environment, animals, and frontline communities.
We would like to imagine that our behaviors are founded upon well-reasoned beliefs. But, in fact, sometimes the opposite is true — our beliefs are shaped by our behavior. Social psychology has found that engaging in a behavior often changes our thoughts and feelings towards that behavior. This is due, in part, to a phenomenon known as self-perception, when we determine our thoughts and feelings using our behavior as a guide. When people’s behaviors happen to be compatible with certain beliefs, they are often more willing to explore and adopt those beliefs.
It’s no surprise that someone who occasionally enjoys veggie burgers would be more open to discussing the environmental hazards of cattle ranching than someone who only orders beef. There is more at stake for beef lovers, both in terms of self-image and the perceived loss entailed by changing their beliefs.
So when trying to address environmental and climate concerns, rather than trying to change people’s attitudes, perhaps we should try to change their behavior. This is where we can create a beautiful marriage of individual and institutional change.
Defaults: A Recipe for Change
Pre-COVID, Americans ate about a third of their meals in foodservice environments, from fast casual restaurants to corporate cafeterias. Virtually all of those establishments serve meat by default. But with the growing scientific consensus around the need to eat plant-forward diets for both planetary and personal health, wouldn’t it make more sense to default to plant-based meals, while giving everyone the freedom to opt into meat/dairy?
Studies have shown that serving plant-based meals by default increases the selection of plant-based meals by an average of 60 percent. Better yet, this strategy does not result in pushback from diners because they retain their freedom of choice: meat is not taken off the menu, it is just no longer the default.
The Synergy of Individual and Institutional Change
If this simple shift became widespread across US institutions, people would gain firsthand experience that eating a plant-forward diet is enjoyable and does not mean deprivation or malnutrition. In turn, they would likely become more open to learning about the ecological and social justice threats posed by animal agriculture, and, in turn, more open to supporting systemic changes such as increased regulation.
We have likely already witnessed this positive feedback loop between individual behavior and systemic change.
In 2012, plant-based meat sales were roughly $550 million, driven primarily by the small percentage of Americans (~5–8 percent) who identified as vegetarian or vegan. Back then, the notion of mainstream presidential candidates opposing factory farming was laughable; they were too busy eating fried butter at the Iowa State Fair and speaking to the Iowa Pork Congress.
By 2020, the plant-based meat sector had grown to $7 billion in sales, driven by the quarter of Americans (mostly omnivores) who eat plant-based meats and nearly half of Americans who drink plant-based milks. Also in 2020, Cory Booker introduced the Farm System Reform Act, which would place an immediate moratorium on new factory farms and phase out existing ones by 2040. The bill was co-sponsored by fellow presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
The feedback loop does not stop there. The increasing threat of regulation and shifting consumer preferences pressures investors and producers to acknowledge the increased risk associated with factory farming and devote more of their portfolios to plant-based products. In turn, this makes plant-based foods more affordable and accessible, allowing a larger array of consumers to change their behaviors and, in turn, their attitudes.
The Bottom Line
This monumental systemic shift starts with individuals — not only those who opt for plant-based foods, but also those who advocate for plant-forward food policies within their communities and institutions. Whether it’s a church potluck, an environmental fundraiser, or a catered office meeting, individuals can shift institutional norms and influence the behaviors and beliefs of their communities, setting off a powerful chain of events that will transform our food system, and our world.
Sign up here to become a DefaultVeg ambassador to normalize plant-forward dining in your community.
Katie Cantrell is the Director of Corporate Outreach for the Better Food Foundation.
