News Meat consumption 2019
Advance of vegetarian products does not depress meat consumption
Research by Wageningen Economic Research shows that meat consumption in the Netherlands increased again in 2019. This increase is at odds with the trends of recent years, in which vegetarian, flexitarian and vegetarian products are gaining more ground.
WUR has been commissioned by Wakker Dier to research the Dutch meat consumption per capita. This shows that we have been eating more meat since 2017. In 2019, 77,8 kilograms of meat were consumed per capita, almost half a kilogram more than the year before. Poultry meat in particular appears to be more popular, but pork remains the leader in terms of meat consumption.
Flexitarians and tourists
According to researcher and consumption sociologist Hans Dagevos of the WUR, the increasing consumption of meat is partly caused by more consumption outside the home, which in turn is the result of the growing number of tourists who visit our country every year. However, the increase is not only due to tourists. It also appears that the Dutch eat meat more easily outside the home than at home. This conclusion was already apparent from German research. Flexitarians in particular report that they consume less meat at home than when they eat out.
Contrasting trend
The increase in meat consumption is contrary to trends in the Netherlands and worldwide. More and more people are opting for a vegetarian or flexitarian diet and vegan products such as plant-based milk and meat substitutes are becoming increasingly popular. This is also apparent from a study by ING in which the turnover in meat and dairy alternatives is expected to increase to €2025 billion by 7,5. Last year, these products achieved a turnover of €4,4 billion.
The fact that the trends in the field of meat and dairy substitutes are continuing strongly is also reflected in the development within meat and dairy processors. More and more dairy processors, such as Danone, are choosing to also offer plant-based dairy products. The same applies to meat processors and brands that choose to market vegan products such as Nestlé and Vion.
Jorine Cosse
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