ERSCP Webinar Series
Invitation to Register
We cordially invite you to join next webinar of the ERSCP-society. Our society will organize quarterly webinars of about 60-90 minutes. We intend to present recent research results and methods; we encourage researchers and practitioners to join and invite them to apply for own presentations for future webinars.
The next webinar will take place Thursday, November 26 2026 from 16.00-17.30 CET.
Please register free of charge here (see registration form below)
Affect, Trust, and Naturalness: Heuristics in Citizens’
Assessment of Alternative Proteins
Speakers: Prof. Dr. Dr. Martina Schäfer and Dr. Charlotte Schüßler (Technical University of Berlin/Germany)
Abstract: Alternative proteins (APs) – ranging from insects or plant-based products to technologies such as precision fermentation or cell cultivation – are proposed as a sustainable response to the challenges of industrial livestock production
This webinar presents results from focus groups with citizens on alternative proteins, analysed through a framework of heuristics used to evaluate food technologies: the affect, trust, and natural-is-better heuristics. It also explores how citizens link their attitudes towards APs to broader social contexts, such as generational and class-based differences, and to the role of convenience in food choice.
Project RI-ProT
The focus group study is embedded in a research project on Responsible Innovation in Protein Transition (RI-ProT, www.ri-prot.de).
Information on the speakers
Prof. Dr. Dr. Martina Schäfer
Martina Schäfer is the Scientific Director of the Centre for Technology and Society (ZTG) of TU Berlin/Germany. She is very experienced in coordinating inter- and transdisciplinary projects and the development of methods for this research mode. She is doing research in the fields of sustainable regional development, sustainable food systems and sustainable consumption.
Dr. Charlotte Schüßler
Charlotte Schüßler is a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for Technology and Society (ZTG) of TU Berlin/Germany. Her research focuses on sustainable food systems and sustainable consumption, with a focus on meat, dairy, and alternative proteins.
Prof. Dr. Maria Csutora
(Board Member of the ERSCP-society)