Search Get in touch
The RSPB

Behavioural interventions to encourage nature-friendly eating

Founded in 1889, the RSPB is now the largest conservation charity in the UK, and, as part of BirdLife International, works to protect nature in countries around the world.

Since 2020, we’ve been working with the RSPB to explore opportunities to influence colleagues, members, volunteers and supporters to make more nature-friendly eating choices. The programme is designed to reduce the impact of meat and dairy consumption on nature – especially given its significant contribution to climate change – with the goal that by 2030, people will eat 50% less meat and dairy, and that the remainder should be sourced from nature-friendly farms.

Our work to date in collaboration with the RSPB’s teams has created an extensive evidence base and a strategic framework to achieve this goal. Through a process of insight gathering and co-production workshops, we have learned from best practice.

Having engaged colleagues across insight, policy, communications, catering and operations teams, we reframed the messaging to communicate with staff more effectively, and appeal to all stakeholders, avoiding the ‘language of lack’.

We have imagined possibilities and developed strategic recommendations to pilot targeted behavioural interventions through key touchpoints – primarily via in-house catering and at RSPB reserves. Next steps will be to roll out interventions and identify what is most effective to shift behaviours in the wider, post-pandemic world.