Nils-Gerrit Wunsch
Research expert covering food & agriculture in the UK & Europe
Get in touch with us nowVegetarianism and veganism among young adults in selected European countries 2021
In 2021, Germany had the highest share of polled individuals aged between 18 and 29 years of age who were vegetarian or vegan in Europe. Among respondents in all countries the share of vegetarians was higher than the share of vegans.
Environmental issues
Meat and dairy products provide approximately 18 percent of the world’s food calories and 37 percent of protein, while they simultaneously utilize 83 percent of farmland and contribute between 56 and 58 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions produced by the worldwide agricultural industry. Reducing consumption of meat and dairy products would therefore be an efficient method of reducing the environmental impact of the agricultural industry on the planet. In the UK, greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural industry amounted to approximately 46 million tons of CO2 in 2019. A year earlier, total emission in the EU were about 435 million metric tons.
European perspective
The meat-free market is gaining momentum in Germany where the sales of meat substitutes is expected to reach approximately 256 million US Dollars by 2020. At the same time meat consumption in Germany is expected to fall. Consumption was forecast to also sink in Italy and France. However, overall European consumption was expected to rise.
Environmental issues
Meat and dairy products provide approximately 18 percent of the world’s food calories and 37 percent of protein, while they simultaneously utilize 83 percent of farmland and contribute between 56 and 58 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions produced by the worldwide agricultural industry. Reducing consumption of meat and dairy products would therefore be an efficient method of reducing the environmental impact of the agricultural industry on the planet. In the UK, greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural industry amounted to approximately 46 million tons of CO2 in 2019. A year earlier, total emission in the EU were about 435 million metric tons.
European perspective
The meat-free market is gaining momentum in Germany where the sales of meat substitutes is expected to reach approximately 256 million US Dollars by 2020. At the same time meat consumption in Germany is expected to fall. Consumption was forecast to also sink in Italy and France. However, overall European consumption was expected to rise.
