Despite being well known for their love of wurst and schnitzel, Germans have been steadily eating less meat over the past few years.
Thousands of Germans, who enjoy sausages and steak on the barbecue in the summer, now prefer meat substitutes such as soy and seitan and grilled vegetables like aubergines and peppers.
Recent figures from the German Agriculture Ministry show that meat consumption dropped to 52 kilogrammes per person in 2022, the lowest figure since calculations began in 1989.
In comparison, the figure stood at around 61 kg per person just five years ago.
Our World in Data states that South Africa consumed just over 60 kgs of meat per person in 2020, with India consuming the lowest amount of meat per capita at only 3.78 kg.
Worries over animal welfare, climate change and higher prices appear to have driven consumers to look for alternatives to meat to fill their plates, with the latest stats showing that 10% of Germans would opt for plant-based foods compared to 6% in 2018.
In 2021, Germany appointed a vegetarian politician as its agriculture minister, the Green Party's Cem Ozdemir, in a bid to raise awareness of alternative sources of protein in the fight against climate change.
Ozdemir told Euronews that “people are concerned about the climate, they want better animal welfare and are also paying more attention to their health, which I think is good.”
However, he said that the meat industry still has a place, despite being one of the big drivers of carbon emissions, and that more climate-friendly practices and supporting “farmers to keep fewer animals, but better“ are two of his initiatives.
IOL