Plant-Based Burgers May Be on the Rise, But Meat Consumption Is Higher Than Ever

Impossible Burgers. Plant nuggets. Pea-protein sausages. Alternative "meat" is shifting tastes and building momentum towards a "climate friendly", low-meat diet, while making the names of a new crop of plant-based food startups and changing the menus of household brands like McDonald's and KFC. But don't be fooled: globally, we are eating more meat than ever before. In the years from 2013 to 2018, global meat consumption rose by 8%, a gain of nearly 18 million tons, according to a recent presentation by Euromonitor International, a market research firm. “While environmental, health and ethical motives are driving consumers to cut back on meat in some developed markets, global meat sales are growing, mostly driven by demand in developing nations,” said Tom Rees, industry manager of food and nutrition at Euromonitor. Thailand, India, and Morocco, for example, are increasingly meat loving countries. But the gains in meat consumption are nearly worldwide, crossing both fresh and processed meat, with clear favorites: China prefers pork, while the rest of the world loves chicken...MORE