Negotiating Organic Meat Consumption in Light of Higher Prices, Climate, and Other Ethical Concerns: A Qualitative Study Among Danish Organic Consumers

Abstract Research on organic food consumption tends to focus on organic food in general or on products with high organic market share, overlooking how product-specific characteristics may shape distinct consumption patterns, especially as food prices increase and concerns evolve. This paper focuses on organic meat, a product particularly affected by declining organic retail sales in Denmark. We examine how consumers negotiate rising food prices, climate concerns, and other ethical considerations regarding organic meat consumption. We draw on qualitative data from four focus groups conducted in 2024 among Danish consumers who placed a high priority on organic food ( N = 26). The focus groups were carried out during a period of high inflation and public concern about the climate impact of consumption, particularly meat. Our findings show increased price consciousness leading to changes in food practices. In general, the participants did not report a reduction in their consumption of organic staples and vegetables but described a reduction in their consumption of more expensive organic products, such as meat. We identified three organic meat reduction approaches: (1) premium conventional substitution , (2) conventional substitution , and (3) reduction and replacement . While high prices appeared as a central reason for the reduced organic meat consumption, concerns about animal welfare, climate, and health were also prevalent in the participants’ accounts of cutting down on meat in general, which presumably affects sales of both organic and non-organic meat. The study provides insights into how organic consumers reconfigure their meat consumption behaviour in a context of both economic and environmental pressures.