BeTrue

From Beef to bean

Introduction

The BeTrue project explores how the real costs of beef production can be reflected in prices through policy and regulatory changes. The goal is to encourage lower beef consumption while making plant-based alternatives more attractive and accessible.

Although true pricing is often seen as a promising way to influence consumer choices, there is still limited understanding of the broader barriers and opportunities that affect its implementation. BeTrue will identify the factors that can either hinder or support the adoption of true pricing in practice.

The project will focus on the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, and Italy, with the potential to expand its scope to other countries.

Climate, health, true pricing, systemic change, plant-based alternatives

01/2026 to 12/2028

TRL: 4

Background

In a global food system under immense pressure, the environmental, health, and social impacts of beef consumption are a pressing challenge. Beef serves as a powerful proxy for examining broader food system dynamics, as it encapsulates systemic tensions and trade-offs. With global population growth accelerating demand, beef production is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and land degradation. BeTrue aims to fill the knowledge gaps by investigating how true pricing mechanisms for beef can be embedded in systemic policy and regulatory changes to reduce consumption and support plant-based alternatives.

What we do

  • Systematic review of true pricing literature and beef transition studies

  • Stakeholder landscape analysis across beef value chain (producers, processors, retailers, consumers)

  • System dynamics models showing feedback loops between pricing, behavior, and value chain responses

  • Regional adaptation toolkit for different European policy and cultural contexts

  • Choice architecture framework combining true pricing with other systems interventions

  • Stakeholder co-design protocols for industry, policy, and consumer engagement.

  • Field experiment protocols tested in retail environments across 4+ European countries

  • Implementation roadmaps by country/region with legal, economic, and social considerations

Expected impact on food system transformation

By identifying the key barriers and opportunities across policy, markets, and consumer behaviour, BeTrue helps develop practical solutions that reflect the true environmental and social costs of beef. At the same time, the project pays close attention to fairness and affordability for consumers and producers.

The project turns research findings into concrete policy options and transition pathways that can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, encourage healthier and more sustainable diets, and create fairer conditions for food producers. In this way, BeTrue supports climate action, public health, and a more equitable transformation of food systems.

Implementation and plans to reach target groups

BeTrue will engage a range of target groups through tailored dissemination and stakeholder engagement activities. Policymakers and other policy stakeholders will be reached through Group Model Building (GMB) workshops, policy briefs, scenario tools, participation in expert groups, and dedicated conferences in Brussels. These activities will ensure that project findings are translated into actionable policy recommendations and support evidence-based decision-making.

The research community will be engaged through academic publications, conference presentations, and methodology workshops, fostering scientific exchange and promoting the uptake of the project's approaches and findings.

Civil society organisations and advocacy groups will be involved through accessible communication materials such as policy briefs and infographics, as well as through coalition-building activities and participation in GMB workshops. This will help strengthen dialogue between stakeholders and support broader awareness and uptake of the project's outcomes.

Partners of the project