More than half of Europeans reduce meat consumption

51% of European meat eaters are actively reducing their meat consumption. This is evident from the new EU-funded Smart Protein research, conducted by ProVeg in collaboration with the University of Copenhagen and Ghent University. The main reasons for respondents to eat less meat are health (47%), followed by environmental concerns (29%) and animal welfare (26%). In the Netherlands, the environment and animal welfare are the most important motivations, while health plays a greater role in Italy, for example. In 2021, the percentage of meat cutters was lower, at 46%. It is striking that only 27% of European consumers identify as flexitarians, which represents a decrease of 10% compared to 2021 (30%). Other important results: Shift towards a better dietSmart Protein coordinator, Professor Emanuele Zannini, emphasizes the importance of clear and simple information about the ingredients and technologies applied to the development of plant-based food products. “This will encourage more ...