Meat, Meat, and More Meat

Despite climate targets, retailers promote (almost) exclusively meat during grilling season — this is shown by an analysis of advertising for the grilling range of six Swiss retailers.

• In total, 559 grilling products were advertised, of which 83 percent were discounted.
• Meat products dominate: 80 percent of discounted grilling products are meat.
• Highest discounts: meat products were discounted by up to 51 percent.
• In total, 94 percent of the advertised products were of animal origin; only six percent consisted of plant-based alternatives such as peas or soy.

When it comes to grand ambitions and fine words, Swiss retailers excel: they have recognised how important their actions are for the environment and the climate. Accordingly, all of them — except Volg — have set a science-based climate target. All the more paradoxical, then, is what theWWF Grill Check once again demonstrates: it is predominantly meat that is not only marketed most prominently during grilling season, but also discounted so heavily that it is virtually reduced to bargain-bin merchandise. Yet meat production generates particularly high levels of climate-damaging emissions. To meet their climate targets, retailers would need to sell significantly less of it.

The analysis reveals that only six percent of advertised grilling products are plant-based alternatives — such as burgers or sausages made from soy or peas. When it comes to discounts, meat again comes out on top. Coop and Denner cut prices on meat products by up to 51 percent, while the highest discount on a vegetarian product — at Lidl — was just 38 percent. A slight trend towards more grilling cheese is emerging. Yet even if this can be interpreted as a gesture of goodwill, it offers little benefit from a climate perspective, since cheese is also associated with high emissions.

Quotes from Mariella Meyer, food expert at WWF Switzerland:

«Retailers play an important role: they decide what they offer, how they present products, which ones they promote – and in doing so, they can help guide consumers' purchasing decisions.»

«Individual preferences and backgrounds play a role in food choices, but decisions are shaped by our food environment – such as supermarkets – and factors outside consumers' control, such as availability, affordability, accessibility and advertising.»

«Retailers need to rethink their advertising strategies and place greater emphasis on sustainable, plant-based alternatives in order to have a genuinely positive impact on the climate.»

Why is meat consumption a problem?

In Switzerland, 13 million chickens, 1.5 million cattle and 1.4 million pigs are kept each year. That is almost twice as many farm animals as there are people living in Switzerland. This has consequences for nature and the climate. Of the greenhouse gases produced by agriculture – which account for as much as twelve percent of Switzerland's total emissions – 85 percent are attributable to livestock farming. The enormous quantities of manure produced by farm animals overburden soils and waterways with nutrients, leading to water pollution and loss of biodiversity. In addition, farm animals require large quantities of feed. Ultimately, 60 percent of Switzerland's arable land is used for growing animal feed. These areas could be used directly to grow plants for human consumption. This would make it possible to feed more people with Swiss-grown food – since livestock farming is, in the final analysis, inefficient. More calories are invested in an animal than we get back: on average, seven calories of plant-based feed must be used to produce one calorie of animal products.

You can help all animals and our planet with compassion. Choose kindness on your plate and in your glass. Go vegan.