Issue 3 | June 2026

Welcome back!

*The past few months have been full of research releases, conference conversations, implementation planning, and a few exciting additions to the team.*

In this Issue:

🌱 New research on consumer motivations and barriers around plant-forward diets in Türkiye

🎙 Reflections from AVA Canada

🤝 What comes after publishing research?

🎉 A new team member joins Animetrics

As always, thank you for being here. Whether you've collaborated with us, shared feedback, downloaded a report, or simply opened this email, we're grateful to have you along for the journey.

**🌱 New Study:**

**Toward Plant-Forward Diets in Türkiye: Consumer Motivations and Potential Barriers**

Most of what we know about dietary change—and many of the strategies built on that knowledge—comes from Western countries.

But food choices are shaped by culture, economics, social norms, and local realities. What motivates change in one context may not work in another.

That is why we used our survey data from 2,499 adults across Türkiye to better understand current dietary patterns, perceptions of plant-based diets, and the motivations of people already reducing or avoiding animal products.

Read the summary + full report

Key Findings:

💚 Health plays a surprisingly complex role. It is the most common concern people have about plant-based diets, but among those already reducing or avoiding animal products, it is also the most common motivation.

🐷 Animal welfare resonates strongly. More than half of reducers and avoiders cite animal welfare as a reason for their dietary choices.

📍 Geography matters. Negative perceptions tend to be higher in eastern regions and lower in western coastal areas.

👥 Age and gender matter too. Men generally report more negative perceptions, and surprisingly younger respondents show more negative perceptions around health and practicality compared with middle-aged respondents.

One takeaway we found particularly interesting…

Perceptions of practicality may not simply reflect access. Respondents in metropolitan areas reported more negative views on practicality than those in non-metropolitan areas, which may suggest that some people interpret “plant-based diets” as involving specialized alternative products rather than affordable everyday foods such as legumes, grains, and vegetables.

For advocacy organizations, this highlights the importance of clear health information, practical messaging, and culturally relevant approaches.

📖 Read the summary & full report

📝 Have questions, feedback, or want to discuss how to apply the findings? Take our short survey. We also offer support with understanding the results, adapting them to your context, and identifying relevant next steps.

🤝 What happens after a report is published?

**This is a question we've been thinking about a lot lately.**

Publishing research is important.
But if findings sit on a website and never influence decisions, strategies, or conversations, their potential impact remains limited.
That's why we're continuing to experiment with implementation support and more hands-on engagement.

One thing we're particularly excited about is an upcoming workshop with advocates in Türkiye, where we'll discuss the research findings together and explore how they can be applied in practice.

Another example comes from our collaboration with the Middle East Vegan Society (MEVS).

MEVS has incorporated findings from our public attitudes research into conversations with companies across the region. According to the organization, consumer insights—such as public interest in reducing animal protein consumption—have helped inform discussions with major food industry actors, including Talabat, the UAE's largest online food delivery platform.

The findings are used alongside arguments around profitability, sustainability, and brand positioning, helping ground conversations in locally relevant evidence.

MEVS reports that these insights have strengthened the credibility of their engagement efforts and supported ongoing conversations about expanding plant-based offerings.

For us, this is one of the most exciting parts of the research process.

AVA Canada

Recently, Sueda attended AVA Canada and came back energized.

A big highlight was the conversations happening between sessions.

Again and again, advocates raised similar questions:

Where can I find research that is relevant to my campaign?
How do I know which evidence applies to my context?
How can I use research in strategy, messaging, or funding conversations?
What should I do when the evidence is limited, unclear, or hard to translate into action?

*Animetrics co-founder Sueda Evirgen attends AVA Canada In May 2026. Photo credit: AVA International, courtesy of flickr.*

These are exactly the kinds of questions Animetrics has been exploring over the past year. Sueda was also part of a speaker lineup alongside Andrea Polanco and Allison Troy from Faunalytics, Jo Anderson from Discoveries by Jo, Jah Ying Chung from The Good Growth Co, and Alina Salmen from Animal Charity Evaluators — a true power team.

Together, they spoke about the use of research in advocacy and the path to impact, and hosted a workshop on diagnosing research and data challenges. During the workshop, participants shared the barriers they experience when using research in advocacy and worked together to brainstorm practical, community-informed solutions.

The conference highlighted a strong interest in strengthening the connection between research and advocacy. Many of the conversations reflected challenges and opportunities that Animetrics is actively exploring in its own work.

If your organization is interested in collaborating on research, testing new approaches to evidence use, or sharing perspectives on how research can better support advocacy, we would love to hear from you!