📊  Toward Plant-Forward Diets in Türkiye: Consumer Motivations and Potential Barriers 

Most of what we know about dietary change — and what strategies are built on — comes from Western countries, leaving regions like the Middle East and North Africa underexplored. Yet food choices in these contexts are shaped by distinct cultural traditions, economic conditions, and social norms. Türkiye is one such case, where insights into consumer attitudes toward plant-based diets have been limited.

For dietary transition to happen at scale, we need to understand what drives it — and what gets in the way — in specific cultural and regional contexts: without this, even well-intentioned interventions risk being ineffective.

Using survey data from 2,499 adults across Türkiye, we examine current dietary patterns, perceptions of plant-based diets, and the motivations of those already reducing or avoiding animal-based foods.

🔍 Key highlights

Dietary change remains limited. Most respondents (83.5%) follow an unrestricted omnivorous diet, ~15% report reducing/avoiding animal products, and fully plant-based diets remain rare (0.5%).

Health and affordability are the most prominent potential barriers. Negative views are most common around health and nutrition (51.6%) and practicality and access (51.5%), with affordability a particular concern. 

Perceptions of practicality reveal an interesting puzzle. Somewhat counterintuitively, respondents in metropolitan areas report more negative views on practicality and access than those in non-metropolitan areas. This may reflect differences in how people interpret plant-based eating — city dwellers may be thinking of expensive specialized alternatives rather than everyday staples like legumes and vegetables. How plant-based diets are framed may matter as much as actual access.

Health appears as both a barrier and a driver for dietary change. While health is the dimension on which respondents hold the most negative views about plant-based diets, among those already reducing or avoiding animal-based products, health is the most commonly cited motivator (63.2%). This makes accurate, accessible health information particularly relevant for dietary change.

Animal welfare resonates strongly. More than half of reducers and avoiders (54.3%) cite animal welfare as an effective motivation for their dietary choices, making it a key point of entry for engagement.

Geography matters. Negative perceptions of plant-based diets tend to be higher in eastern regions and lower in western coastal areas such as the Aegean and parts of Marmara.

Men report more negative perceptions across several dimensions and are less likely to reduce animal-based consumption. 

Younger consumers show surprisingly high negative perceptions. Despite often being assumed to be more open to dietary change, respondents aged 18–24 report relatively high negative perceptions around health and practicality — comparable to or exceeding older age groups in some areas. Given their potential role in shaping longer-term dietary trends, this is a finding that warrants further attention.

📌 Main recommendations for advocacy organizations

Lead with health. Health is both the most common concern and the most powerful motivator. Providing clear, accurate information about the health dimensions of plant-based diets — and correcting common misconceptions — is likely to be among the most impactful strategies.

Make plant-based eating feel achievable. Framing plant-based diets around familiar, affordable, everyday foods (legumes, vegetables) rather than specialized alternatives can help address practical concerns and make dietary change feel more accessible.

Use animal welfare as a point of engagement. With animal welfare ranking as the second most common motivation among those already changing their diets, raising awareness of farming practices and welfare issues can help engage a substantial share of consumers.

Tailor messaging by gender, age, and region. Strategies adapted to men, younger audiences, and eastern regions may be especially important.

Prioritize understanding and engaging younger audiences. Younger respondents report surprisingly high negative perceptions around health and practicality — yet they are also most likely to shape longer-term dietary trends. 📖 Read the summary & full report

📝 Have questions, feedback, or want to discuss how to apply the findings? Take this 2-min survey here. 💛We offer support with understanding the results, adapting them to your context, and identifying relevant next steps.