Beyond Natural, Normal, Necessary, Nice: Introducing “Neglectable” as a Distinct Coping Strategy for the Dairy Paradox

2026/03/30 by Sarah Kunze, Bernice Bovenkerk, DANIEL FISCHER · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · #Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact #Agriculture, Land Use, Rural Development #Organic Food and Agriculture

paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/s41055-026-00214-3

openalex publication_date 2026/03/30 · openalex created_date 2026/03/31 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29

Abstract

Abstract Dairy is the second largest greenhouse gas emitter in animal agriculture and requires the killing of animals. Most people wish to avoid harming animals and the climate but also consume meat. Consumers subconsciously use coping strategies to reduce cognitive dissonance caused by this meat paradox. But is there also a dairy paradox? For this exploratory study, we used focus groups to investigate cognitive dissonance and coping strategies related to dairy consumption and compared these to coping strategies around meat. We found that dairy is framed much more positively than meat. However, the types of dairy-related coping strategies strongly overlap with those for meat. We conclude that dairy-related cognitive dissonance occurs, identify the dairy paradox, and three dairy-specific coping strategies: dairy is indirect, overwhelming, and, in summary, neglectable. We suggest adding a fifth N to the Ns of justification of meat consumption: natural, normal, necessary, nice; specifically for dairy: neglectable.

Citations

• Using thematic analysis in psychology
• Framing: Toward Clarification of a Fractured Paradigm
• Reducing food’s environmental impacts through producers and consumers
• The Psychology of Eating Animals
• A structured literature review of the meat paradox

Discussions

• Die meisten Menschen wollen weder #Tiere noch dem Klima schaden, essen aber dennoch #Fleisch. Sie nutzen unbewusste Bewältigungsstrategien, um kognitive Dissonanz zu verringern. Bei Milchprodukten erg [bsky, 2 points, 0 comments]

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