In the second corona year, 2021, the Dutch started eating slightly more meat than in 2020. They consumed 76.1 kilograms of meat per capita last year. This is the result of research by Wageningen Economic Research commissioned by the animal welfare organization Wakker Dier.
In 2020, the Dutch ate an average of 75.9 kilograms of meat and meat products. Since the first counts, in 2005, consumption has never fallen below 76 kilos. In 2019 it was still 77.8 kilos. The researchers look at slaughter, import and export and stock changes. It’s about the amount of meat with bone. About half of that remains on the board.
After the first corona year, consumption rose slightly in 2021, but not to the level before corona. Wholesale figures show that almost a quarter less meat was eaten in the catering industry than in 2019. Last year the catering industry still had to deal with lockdowns for a number of months.
It is striking that meat sales in supermarkets in 2021 barely exceeded that of 2019. This while retail had benefited greatly from the catering closure in the first corona year. Last year, consumers did not compensate for lower meat consumption outside the home (including catering, takeaway and delivery meals) with more meat from the supermarket.
The figures do not indicate that the Dutch consciously opt for less meat. “The lower consumption seems to be the result of the corona restrictions rather than changing meat preferences,” says Hans Dagevos, consumption researcher at Wageningen Economic Research.
Also read: Consumers cannot manage to eat less meat on their own
Rising prices
The big question for the coming year is what consequences the rising prices will have on meat consumption. Meat was almost 17 percent more expensive in September than a year ago and the end of the price increases is not in sight. Dagevos: “This is an interesting year for researchers. There is a lot of talk about a meat tax and what effect this will have on consumption. Now we have a real life experiment. Next year we hope to be able to see if people eat less meat when prices rise so sharply.”
The question is also how choices will change. Consumers may first switch to cheaper products before they leave meat behind. From expensive to cheaper restaurants, from steak to minced meat and from organic to free-range meat, for example.
Market researcher IRI signaled last month that the sale of meat substitutes is now declining after years of growth. This while meat substitutes have become cheaper in relation to meat. There are also signs that the demand for organic products is stagnating.
Wakker Dier, who commissioned the WUR research, believes that supermarkets should entice consumers to buy plant-based alternatives.
Climate impact
Earlier this week, environmental organization Feedback EU found in a report on meat and dairy that supermarkets are doing too little to reduce their climate impact. While they are committed to goals of getting people to eat more plant-based and less animal protein and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, they place the responsibility for this on the customer, Feedback EU writes. The government is aiming for 40 percent animal and 60 percent plant-based by 2030. That is now the reverse.
The organization criticizes the lack of transparency at supermarkets about emissions and the sale of animal products. Only Lidl does this specifically for the Netherlands and writes that the total emissions correspond to the energy consumption of 3 million Dutch households. According to Ahold, meat and dairy are responsible for more than a third of emissions in its production chains.
These are also the only supermarkets that are somewhat open about the share of meat and dairy in their turnover: more than a quarter.
A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper of October 13, 2022
#Dutch #eating #meat