Earlier this month I helped a friend organise a craftivism event. This was a new and exciting experience for me.

Craftivism‘s purpose is in its name: use craft for activism. But it’s done in subtle ways as the art is usually what gets people curious or interested — a way of drawing attention — and the message itself is only then reflected on and engaged with. But the message may not be immediately obvious. It is a different way of communicating.

My gentle protest

This event focused on climate action and positivity — what brings you joy when taking climate action. The intention was to break the negative cycle of people feeling that they need to give up the things they love or be a radically different person to be able to take climate action.

So of course I was going to put a positive, plant-based message out.

Everyone was asked to sew a positive message within this theme on a fabric puzzle piece that would then be sewn together to create a table cloth. The table cloth could then be used in other events and activities. So the message had to be short and, ideally, catchy.

My message:

PLANT-BASED

not meat-free

Why? To emphasise that plant-based meals in their own right are delicious and worthy of people’s attention.

Choice architecture

Second, the message uses insights from behaviour economics research that nudges people to choose more sustainable, plant-based options if presented in the right way.

Research shows that people don’t want to feel like they are missing out. Emphasising the content of the meal and what it provides (rather than what it does not) encourages more people to try the meal. This ProVeg article is really insightful on how we can use choice architecture and nudge principles to increase flexitarian purchases of plant-based meals in the Global North / Western countries.

These principles are something that I had already implemented in More Than Broccoli when starting in 2022 but it is something I am even more aware of now.

People love delicious food. Plant-based meals can be equally, if not more, delicious than traditional meat-and-two-veg meals.

We just need some subtle nudging, whether that is in a restaurant, work canteen, or at an arts event, to appreciate plant-based meals.