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Short abstract:

This paper contributes to the understanding of sociotechnical imaginaries and a variety of framings concerning alternative proteins through questionnaires and focus group interviews in Japan.

Long abstract:

Alternative proteins have attracted much recent attention from the food technology sector and the public for their impact on food sustainability, particularly from the perspective of the protein crisis. Although many studies have investigated public attitudes toward alternative proteins in Western countries, there have been few such surveys conducted in Japan. To examine the future direction of the innovation process regarding emerging technologies, the sociotechnical imaginary (Jasanoff and Kim 2009) should be considered. This is also true in food-tech and alternative proteins. Considering this background, this study aimed to investigate Japanese public attitudes and their various framings and imaginaries toward alternative proteins of insects, plant-based meat, cultured meat, milk alternatives, and microalgae using a questionnaire and focus group interviews. We conducted an online questionnaire survey (N = 5,000) with respondents from all over Japan. Our comparative analysis of image associations showed that insect proteins had a distinctly negative image among alternative proteins. Further, our survey found that the level of scientific interest was a critical common factor in determining attitudes toward these foods. Daily consumption of food, age, and gender affected attitudes toward various alternative proteins. Through our focus group interviews, we can find various framings: “protein crisis,” “anticipation,” “animal welfare,” “rights of choice,” “transparency,” and so on. Our results would contribute to the understanding of sociotechnical imaginaries regarding alternative proteins and future discussions on food.