EP (Emily) Bouwman, MSc

As a consumer researcher I am committed to making a positive impact on animal welfare and the environment through understanding what drives consumers’ diet choices. I have a passion for the ethical and moral dimensions of consumer choices, particularly in relation to meat reduction and plant-based diet choices. With a specific interest in the role cognitive dissonance can play in addressing the meat paradox.

Within my PhD research I aim to gain a better understanding of how we can accelerate the protein transition. Specifically by exploring whether changes in the food environment can shift social norms – denormalizing meat consumption and normalizing plant-based product consumption – and thereby trigger social friction as a motivator for consumers to change their food consumption behavior.