Three Factors Drive Consumer Beef Demand

You're standing in the meat section of your local grocery store. What determines whether or not you buy the juicy steak in front of you?

Taste? Price? Impulse?

A study conducted by Kansas State University and Michigan State University revealed three main factors driving consumer beef demand — convenience, nutrition and safety.

Beef has tough competition from both poultry and pork in all three categories, but Agricultural Economist James Mintert from Kansas State University offered a three-step solution to even the playing field:

1. Research: identify the positive impacts of eating beef products
2. Outreach: present the findings to health professionals, nutritionists and consumers
3. Investment: develop new production and processing technologies that enhance beef's nutritional properties

In case you were wondering, price is a factor. However, the study found that price fluctuations lead to little change in beef demand.

For more information on the beef demand study, click here.