As the current issue of Frozen Food Europe takes a closer look at vegan & vegetarian foods products, I thought it would be interesting to have a better overall context when talking about this market.
And so, as numbers usually offer that greater perspective, I looked into some of the stats available regarding those who identify as vegans or simply follow vegan diets. While I was expecting slightly higher numbers when it comes to the percentage of vegan or vegetarian consumers, the major surprise came when reading the predictions about meat consumption in the following decades: by 2040, it’s projected that only 40% of the world’s population will eat meat, according to a study quoted by Redefine Meat.
That’s a major drop because over 80% of the global population currently consumes it. Plus, the trend in recent years highlighted an increase in consumption, leading to high figures. For example, according to the US Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute, the average per capita meat consumption per person in the world was 38.7 kilograms, while consumption of meat per capita in EU countries was about 77.1 kilograms.
So, are we about to see a change in patterns?
It doesn’t seem like it, at least when looking at the current stats. In September 2021, there were an estimated 79 million vegans globally, which is just over 1% of the whole population. In the US, 2% of people identify as vegan, and three-quarters of them are female. The vegan food market value was USD14.2bn in 2018 and is projected to hit USD31.4bn by 2026, and while that’s an impressive increase, it still wouldn’t suggest a major shift in eating habits. On the other hand, in 2020, vegan food sales grew twice as fast as general food sales and plant-based meat comprises 2% percent of all packaged-meat options.
So, judging by the numbers, it’s hard to give a definitive answer to the question above. Looking at the market shows a different story, as manufacturers fiercely compete to bring more and more products onto the shelves. And so we should ask ourselves: is the industry pushing consumption or is it just following consumer trends? Let me know what you think at bogdan.angheluta@trade.media.