The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: Facts & Figures About Meat Consumption
Written by Jenny Rose Edwards
Facts & Figures About Meat Consumption
It is predicted that by 2040, most ‘meat’ will not come from dead animals. The world is evolving, and the future of food is definitely moving toward the reducetarian side, don’t you think?
All in all, it’s becoming more difficult to deny that less meat = better planet, better health, which is likely why people are slowly making positive changes to their diet.
If you need a little more convincing, or if you would just like a handy resource - check out the facts and figures below!
Did You Know?
Americans will need to cut their average consumption of beef by about 40% and Europeans by 22%, for the world to continue to feed the 10 billion people expected to live on this planet in 2050. (Source)
In Norway, over 600 tonnes less of red meat has been sold so far in 2019, compared to 2018. (Source)
According to Cancer Research UK, if no one ate processed or red meat in Britain, there would be 8,800 fewer cases of cancer a year. (Source)
In a decade, the number of pig farms in Britain dropped 40% and instead of producing 80% of their own pork, they now produce only about 50% of demand. (Source)
Per capita U.S. beef consumption peaked in the 1970s and has since declined by about one-third. But while it’s down from its peak, it is still higher than almost anywhere else in the world, and four times as high as the world average. (Source)
Australians are still the biggest meat consumers in the world: in 2014 the average Australian ate 116kg of meat per year, almost three times the global average of 43kg. (Source)
Beef, goat, and sheep farming takes up 20 times more land than farming for beans, chickpeas, and lentils per gram of protein. It also generates 20 times as much greenhouse gas emissions. (Source)
In 2017, consumption of raw beef, lamb and pork in the UK fell by 4.2% and that of meat products including sausages, bacon and poultry by nearly 7% since 2012. (Source)