Meat consumption trends in the world an the European Union

Abstract

The overall growth in the world during the past ten years, related to the increasing population and average earnings, has been more significant in developing countries where starting individual incomes are low. However, in countries with the highest individual incomes (USA, Canada, EU, Japan), few changes in individual meat consumption have occurred since 1990.

In the EU, global meat consumption is increasing more and more slightly, with a move from beef and lamb to poultry. Nevertheless, the global level of meat consumption, the relative share of beef, lamb, pork and poultry, and trends are still different in various EU countries. In Italy, Germany and France, households panel data show great differences in consumer behaviour, particularly since the BSE crisis, and in consumer segmentation.