Almost half of consumers worldwide expect plant-based foods to become the norm within a decade, as a new study shows.
Nearly 30,000 people in 31 countries provided their data to the research firm GlobeScan. The surveys were conducted in collaboration with the non-profit organisation EAT, which advocates for a sustainable food system.
The report “Grains of Truth 2022”, which publishes global views on healthy and equitable food options, documents the findings.
Consumer attitudes toward meat
Forty-two percent of respondents stated that most people will “definitely or probably” eat plant-based foods instead of animal meat within the next ten years. Respondents living in Africa and Asia were most likely to hold this view, as were younger people.
The new report also shows that the number of people who eat a vegetarian or vegan diet is rising.
In 2019, 17 percent of respondents stated that they eat mostly or always vegetarian/vegan. In the 2022 report, this share had risen to 22 percent.
“The fact that so many people around the world are showing increasing interest in healthy and sustainable diets is an encouraging sign,” said EAT founder Dr. Gunhild Stordalen in a statement.
“A few years ago it would have been unthinkable that 42 percent of people worldwide would believe that plant-based foods will replace meat within a decade. But the public is beginning to understand the escalating climate and nature crises and the dangers they pose to their daily lives.”
More than half (51 percent) of respondents said they are concerned about food security. Food shortages as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war against Ukraine were described as a “serious concern” by 60 percent of participants.
Furthermore, 92 percent of respondents stated that their regular food costs are higher than before.
Nevertheless, a majority of consumers considered environmentally conscious food choices to be important. 80 percent stated that purchasing sustainable and responsible food products is a priority for them. At the same time, 64 percent indicated that they are willing to pay more for such products, even during times of the cost-of-living crisis.
Growing interest in plant-based diets
The report “Grains of Truth 2022” shows that curiosity about meat-free foods is increasing across all age groups. Generation Z (ages 12 to 26) and Millennials (ages 26 to 41) lead the list with 40 and 43 percent interest in plant-based diets, respectively.
Generation X (ages 42 to 57) and Baby Boomers (ages 58 to 76) are, however, not far behind.
Thirty-seven percent of Generation X stated that they would like to try plant-based foods. More than a quarter (28 percent) of Boomers indicated that they are very interested in a plant-based diet.
The report is consistent with similar research on public attitudes toward meat consumption. A survey commissioned by the Good Food Institute found that half of people in Western Europe have reduced their meat consumption over the past five years.
Giving up meat for the health of the climate
The openness toward a plant-based diet comes at an opportune moment.
Many researchers are of the opinion that a plant-based diet is a valuable tool against the worsening climate crisis . This is partly due to the enormous amount of greenhouse gases generated by animal farming — at least 14.5 percent of total global emissions.
Deforestation also remains a central issue. One of the world’s largest carbon stores, the Amazon rainforest, has been so intensively cleared to operate animal farms that it now emits more carbon than it absorbs for the first time.
| You can help all animals and our planet with compassion. Choose compassion on your plate and in your glass. Go vegan. |
