CC BY 4.0Schwarz, AlexanderAlexanderSchwarzBusch, GesaGesaBuschWeinrich, RamonaRamonaWeinrich2024-12-032024-12-032024https://doi.org/10.24406/publica-3872https://publica.fraunhofer.de/handle/publica/47957610.1016/j.jclepro.2024.14392910.24406/publica-3872Excessive meat production and consumption (especially in high-income countries) are linked to global sustainability hazards, such as climate change. Yet, sustainable meat production constitutes a wicked problem (i.e., a problem resistant to final resolution with diverging interests by relevant stakeholders) and political intervention accordingly has remained limited. To tackle wickedness, scholars recommend policy formats that embrace diversity and complexity among stakeholders, so-called multi-stakeholder engagement strategies (MSESs). Trust is said to facilitate stakeholder cooperation and ranks among the key ingredients to and outcomes of effective MSESs. Yet, trust remains under-conceptualized in the research on MSESs regarding sustainable meat production. Thus, to gauge stakeholders’ willingness to cooperate in respective MSESs, our research applied a seminal framework to probe the mutual trust between core actors of the meat supply chain. Focusing on Germany, we investigated the relationship between those stakeholders assumed to share rather fragile bonds (i.e., representatives of meat production and of NGOs that advocate environmental and animal welfare causes). Using semi-structured interviews we asked both parties about their mutual relationship, their opinion about MSESs and their willingness to cooperate with each other in them. Interview results were triangulated with secondary data. Our findings indicate limited trust by each party with the meat sector possibly being less trusting. They also reveal characteristics that may diminish trust in the eyes of each party. Our results further indicate acceptance of MSESs by both parties and suggest key characteristics that are relevant to their success.enMeat sectorMulti-stakeholder engagementNGOsSustainable meatTrustWicked problemsjournal article