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MEAT ATLAS Facts and figures about the animals we eat 2021
IMPRINT The MEAT ATLAS 2021 is jointly published by Heinrich Böll Stiftung, Berlin, Germany Friends of the Earth Europe, Brussels, Belgium Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz, Berlin, Germany Chief executive editors: Christine Chemnitz, Heinrich Böll Foundation (project management) Stanka Becheva, Friends of the Earth Europe Managing editor, graphics research: Dietmar Bartz Art director, graphic development: Ellen Stockmar English edition Editor: Paul Mundy Proofreader: Rachel Glassberg German edition Chief sub-editor: Elisabeth Schmidt-Landenberger Documentation and final editing: Andreas Kaizik, Sandra Thiele (Infotext GbR) Contributors: Francesco Ajena, Isis Alvarez, Stanka Becheva, Reinhild Benning, Milena Bernal Rubio, Peter Birke, Christine Chemnitz, Inka Dewitz, Thomas Fatheuer, Lukas Paul Fesenfeld, Harald Grethe, Carla Hoinkes, Heike Holdinghausen, Philip Howard, Kristin Jürkenbeck, Kamal Kishore, Ilse Köhler-Rollefson, Silvie Lang, Jonas Luckmann, Bettina Müller, Lia Polotzek, Thorsten Reinsch, Hanni Rützler, Maureen Schulze, Shefali Sharma, Achim Spiller, Lisa Tostado, Mia Watanabe, Katrin Wenz, Sabine Wichmann, Stephanie Wunder, Anke Zühlsdorf Cover image: Ellen Stockmar, image editing: Roland Koletzki The views do not necessarily reflect those of all partner organizations. The maps show the areas where data are collected and do not make any statement about political affiliation. Editorial responsibility (V. i. S. d. P.): Annette Maennel, Heinrich Böll Foundation 1st edition, September 2021 This material – except the cover image, publication covers and logos – is licensed under the Creative Commons “Attribution 4.0 International” (CC BY 4.0). For the licence agreement, see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode, and a summary (not a substitute) at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en. Individual graphics from this atlas may be reproduced if the attribution “Bartz/Stockmar, CC BY 4.0” is placed next to the graphic. Friends of the Earth Europe gratefully acknowledges financial assistance from the European Commission (LIFE Programme). The sole responsibility for the content of this document lies with Friends of the Earth Europe. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the funder mentioned above. The funder cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. FOR DOWNLOADS Heinrich Böll Stiftung, www.eu.boell.org/meatatlas Friends of the Earth Europe, www.friendsoftheearth.eu/meatatlas-2021
MEAT ATLAS
Facts and figures about the animals we eat
2021
TABLE OF CONTENTS
16 MERCOSUR
TRADING AWAY THE ENVIRONMENT
The Association Agreement between
the European Union and the Mercosur
countries raises concerns with regards
to meat and feed, as well as the rainforest
and the climate. Meanwhile, the EU is worried
about cheap imports, and resistance
is growing. Whether the deal will actually
come into force is questionable.
18 PRODUCTION
PROBLEM FOODS
AND THEIR PRODUCERS
The world’s meat production has grown
rapidly, fed by rising demand and
02 IMPRINT made possible by technological advances
in livestock farming. But this has had
08 INTRODUCTION serious consequences for animal welfare
and small-scale producers.
10 TWELVE BRIEF LESSONS
ABOUT MEAT AND THE WORLD 20 ABATTOIRS
CHOPPING BUT NOT CHANGING
12 CONSUMPTION Covid-19 outbreaks in abattoirs and processing
EVERYDAY FOOD AND LUXURY GOOD plants are just the latest in a long list of
The global demand for meat continues to problems in the meat industry. Low wages,
rise due to economic and population growth, hard work, and precarious employment
but at a slower pace than 10 years ago. Poultry are the price that workers pay to supply us
accounts for an increasingly large share of with cheap meat. The industry is
consumption. Large differences remain in attempting to dodge its responsibility to
consumption per capita between countries and provide decent conditions for its staff.
among population groups.
22 MEAT WASTE
14 WORLD TRADE A LOT LESS THAN THE WHOLE HOG
IN LORRIES AND SHIPS The meat industry used to be famous
Trade in meat and live animals is relatively new for using “everything about the hog except
and growing fast. Disease outbreaks, sanitary the squeal”. But a large proportion of
restrictions and trade policies can lead to big the livestock raised for food do not end up
swings in trade flow. The big four players are as food. Many die, or are killed, before
China – which dominates import markets – they reach the slaughterhouse, and even
as well as the USA, Brazil and the EU, which more meat is wasted between the factory
provide most exports. and the plate.
4 MEAT ATLAS 2021
24 LAND CONFLICTS of extra money, but may also mean more
CUTTING DOWN FORESTS, work. And if selling eggs and milk becomes
CARVING UP PASTURES more profitable, men very often take charge.
In South America, natural vegetation is
being turned into pastureland and 32 FEED
monocultures to support an unsustainable SOY, FOREST, AND SAVANNA
form of livestock production. In Africa More than one-third of all crops worldwide
and Asia, a sustainable form of livestock end up in the stomachs of livestock.
raising is losing ground to industrialized That includes one billion tonnes a year
agriculture. Traditional local of soybeans and maize alone. The feed
communities are on the losing end. and livestock industries want to increase
that even further.
26 COMPANIES
DOMINATING THE MARKET 34 CLIMATE
FROM FARM TO DISPLAY CASE A LIGHTER HOOFPRINT
Global meat companies play a major role Livestock’s share of global greenhouse
in determining how meat and feed are gas emissions is understated. The climate
produced, transported and traded. footprint of the animals and the feed
Food is big business: the 100 largest food they need is significant. There are ways
and beverage firms around the world to change that.
include 10 main meat producers and
processors. 36 PESTICIDES
BANNED BY BRUSSELS,
28 FINANCE ALLOWED IN THE AMAZON
BIG BUCKS FOR BIG FIRMS Pesticide applications are on the rise across
Big Meat attracts big money. Both private the globe. Some of the most dangerous
and public investors pour money into meat substances have been banned in the
and dairy corporations, further boosting European Union, but are still being used on
their market power and fuelling yet more a large scale in other parts of the world.
consolidation in an already concentrated Many are intended for the cultivation
industry. The environmental and social of soybean and maize, which are destined
damage caused by the industry is largely mainly for use as livestock feed.
overlooked.
38 WATER
30 GENDER AND POVERTY THIRSTY ANIMALS, THIRSTY CROPS
YET MORE UNPAID WORK All animal products have a water footprint:
In many countries, women do most of the the amount of water needed to produce
farm work, but they are not allowed to them. It is not just the total amount
make most of the decisions. They have to that is important, but the types of water
balance caring for their children and elderly that are needed. There is enough
parents with looking after the chickens and “green” water. But the volumes of “blue”
goats. Livestock can be a welcome source and “grey” water should be kept low.
MEAT ATLAS 2021 5
40 FERTILIZERS of animal production, known as pastoralism,
TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING is economically important and climate-
Nitrogen pollution from livestock manure friendly, but it is under severe threat.
is an increasing problem in many parts
of the world. Countries in the European 50 PASTORALISM IN INDIA
Union have lots of ideas on how to reduce RANGELAND, NOT WASTELAND
such contamination of their environments. India is the world’s largest exporter
One approach is through closer monitoring of buffalo, sheep and goat meat. Remarkably,
of industrial livestock producers and the majority of this output is produced
restricting the amount of manure slurry in traditional agropastoral systems.
that crop farmers are allowed to apply.
52 ACTIVE STATE
42 REWETTING THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF
GIVE PEAT A CHANCE TRANSFORMING THE MEAT SYSTEM
Across the globe, peatlands are being Representative surveys in various
drained for farming and raising livestock. countries have found a surprising amount
But dried-out peat emits huge amounts of public support for reduced consumption
of greenhouse gases. Agricultural of meat. Policymakers must find the
policy should initiate the transition to the right package and sequence of measures
climate-friendly use of these areas. to stimulate the transition to a more
sustainable future.
44 ANTIBIOTICS
USELESS MEDICINES 54 THE EUROPEAN UNION
Antibiotics help to treat many diseases. COMMON LIVESTOCK POLICY
The big problem: in both humans and Intensive livestock production
animals, pathogens can develop antibiotic creates environmental and animal welfare
resistance – a fatal danger. And in problems. Reforms currently being
industrial livestock production, these drugs considered to the EU’s Common Agricultural
are still not being used carefully enough. Policy do not go nearly far enough to
resolve these. But improvements can be
46 PANDEMICS made even within the current system.
DANGEROUS CONTACTS
Livestock production and meat consumption 56 LABEL
stimulate outbreaks of diseases that can THREE STARS FOR A BETTER LIFE
be transmitted from wild animals to humans. Buy meat from a supermarket, and you
Such zoonoses can have catastrophic can probably choose between organic and
consequences – as Covid-19 has shown. non-organic. But with the non-organic
products, you have no way of telling whether
48 PASTORALISM the animal was treated well, or was stuck
BOUNTY FROM A BARREN LAND in a pen with little room to move. Calls
Mobile herders move with their herds or are growing for meat labels that show the
flocks in the remotest of pastures. This form conditions under which the animals are raised.
6 MEAT ATLAS 2021
58 EU STRATEGIES 66 ACTIVISM
A GOOD START, BUT PRESSURE FROM BELOW
COULD TRY HARDER Civil society is a sometimes
As part of its Green Deal, the European underestimated stakeholder in
Commission has proposed a “Farm the food system. Supporting
to Fork Strategy”. This is the EU’s most sustainable production and
coherent attempt yet to respond to the criticizing industrialized agriculture,
fundamental challenges plaguing the it influences public opinion and
food system. But much will depend habits and demands better policies
on converting grand-sounding and international solidarity.
words into actual policies. And it can hold governments and
companies accountable for their
60 LAB MEAT actions, while offering solutions.
CELLSTOCK VS LIVESTOCK
Lab-grown meat is a disruptive 68 SURVEY ON YOUTH
innovation that could help resolve CHANGING HABITS
sustainability and health issues Young people in Germany – the
related to livestock, as well as “Fridays for Future generation” – eat
reduce the numbers of animals less meat than their elders. Their
farmed. But the sustainability gains attitudes and habits are likely to steer
do not yet match expectations. food consumption and policy in
the coming decades. Results of a
62 INSECTS AS FOOD representative survey.
SNACKING ON SILKWORMS,
LUNCHING ON LOCUSTS 72 AUTHORS AND SOURCES
Adding insects to our menus FOR DATA AND GRAPHICS
could help overcome the world’s
food supply problems. But the 74 ABOUT US
industrial production of insects is
controversial: would it be
useful or dangerous?
64 MEAT SUBSTITUTES
A NEW SECTOR EMERGES
Vegan and vegetarian alternatives
to meat are gaining popularity
fast – making them tastier for
big firms, too. Competition is likely
to flare up around in-vitro
meat: start-ups developing
lab-grown products are sprouting
everywhere.
MEAT ATLAS 2021 7INTRODUCTION
O
ne of the key demands of
Fridays for Future, the youth
climate movement, is “Listen
„ The expansion of
industrial agriculture
at the expense of nature
to science!” In the age of Covid-19, puts our global health at risk.
governments frequently consult
scientists and adapt policies to their
advice. Scientists have also been slaughterhouses came to light during
stressing for over a decade that a the first and second waves of the
climate- and biodiversity-friendly diet Covid-19 crisis, when meat factories
contains less than half the amount turned into infection hotspots in many
of meat consumed in industrialized countries.
countries today.
T
he fact that the meat industry
However, an ambitious and dedicated keeps profiting throughout all
political shift in agriculture and food crises while being subject to little
policy to tackle the climate crisis regulation poses the question as to
seems far away. The food and farming whom governments really listen to.
sector in industrialized countries, While livestock corporations fuel the
which accounts for about one-third climate crisis, deforestation, pesticide
of global greenhouse gas emissions, use and biodiversity loss, and while they
is far from doing its fair share to drive people off their land, they are still
reduce them. supported and financed by the world’s
most powerful banks and investors,
I
f the climate crisis failed to ring many of them from Europe. Policies,
alarm bells, Covid-19 should have on the other hand – be they on animal
done so. The expansion of industrial welfare, trade or climate – include
agriculture at the expense of nature very few restrictions on this damaging
puts our global health at risk. The industry. Strict, binding regulations for
World Health Organization has been meat producers are often only achieved
underlining the dire threat to global via citizens’ engagement – like the “End
human health of zoonoses (infectious the Cage Age” campaign. This European
diseases transmitted via animals), Citizens’ Initiative for a ban on keeping
which are closely linked to industrial animals in cages in the EU brought
meat and feed production around together over 170 organizations and
the globe. Furthermore, the terrible was supported by 1.4 million people.
working conditions in Citizens have long grasped the problem.
8 MEAT ATLAS 2021The results of a survey commissioned for
this report in Germany show that more
than two-thirds of the younger generation
„ Laws and regulations
can steer our consumption
decisions in favour of
reject today’s meat industry. Considering sustainability and health.
meat production a threat to the climate,
they choose vegetarian or vegan diets
twice as often as the population as a whole. It is clear that many (especially young)
And they see a need for action on the part people no longer want to accept the
of the government. profit-driven damage caused by the
meat industry and are increasingly
C
ontrarily to what politicians might interested in and committed to climate,
claim, laws and regulations can sustainability, animal welfare and food
steer our consumption decisions sovereignty causes. We consider this
in favour of sustainability and health. an encouraging step for our future and
There are numerous instruments for want to use this Atlas to strengthen
this: fiscal, informational and legal. their commitment with information.
European and national food strategies
T
should contain such instruments, as his Atlas is intended to support
well as those which support sustainable all those who seek climate justice
livestock breeding and a transition of and food sovereignty, and who
the industry towards more locally want to protect nature. Revealing new
embedded models in order to create fair data and facts, and providing links
and sustainable food environments. They between various key issues, it is a crucial
should also reinforce environmental contribution to the work done by many
and social laws as well as animal welfare to shed light on the problems arising
legislation in order to shift the focus from industrial meat production.
of current industrial meat production
to quality instead of quantity.
Eight years ago, we published the first Barbara Unmüßig
Meat Atlas. Since then, a lot has changed Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
in Europe and globally. Industrial meat
Olaf Bandt
has become a critical issue in society,
Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland
the media and science. Consumers are
increasingly turning to vegetarian Jagoda Munić
products or to sustainably produced meat. Friends of the Earth Europe
MEAT ATLAS 2021 912 BRIEF LESSONS
ABOUT MEAT AND THE WORLD
1 Global meat production is increasing. But to protect
BIODIVERSITY AND THE CLIMATE, the developed
world WILL HAVE TO HALVE ITS CONSUMPTION OF MEAT.
2 More than one billion people around the world earn their living by
KEEPING LIVESTOCK. Traditional and nature-friendly animal husbandry
is coming under pressure from INDUSTRIALIZED AGRICULTURE.
3 Almost two-thirds of the world’s 600 million poor livestock
keepers are WOMEN. They face disadvantages because they
have LIMITED ACCESS to land, services and farm ownership.
4 CONFLICTS over land are on the rise, in part because
of industrial meat production. More and more people
are being killed for defending the RIGHT TO LAND.
5 The use of ANTIBIOTICS IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY is resulting
in more and more MICROBIAL RESISTANCE. This threatens the
effectiveness of antibiotics, one of the most important
types of treatment in human medicine.
6 The leading producers of fodder crops are among
the largest users of PESTICIDES – which contaminate
groundwater and harm BIODIVERSITY.
10 MEAT ATLAS 2021MEAT ATLAS 2021 / STOCKMAR
7 The five biggest MEAT AND MILK PRODUCERS
emit the same volume of CLIMATE-DAMAGING
GREENHOUSE GASES as Exxon, AN OIL GIANT.
8 RE-WETTING THE PEATLANDS that occupy
3 percent of EU farmland would
avoid climate-damaging gas
emissions by UP TO ONE QUARTER.
|||||| LIFE FOR
||| FRIDAYS FOR
LIVESTOCK |||||| |||||| STOP!
CLIMATE |||||
|||||||||| FLYING: LEAVE IT TO INSECTS |||||||||| ||||||| KOHLRABI, NOT COAL |||||||
9 In many countries, habits, role models and ADVERTISING,
along with cultural traditions, combine to promote meat
consumption. The food industry is PROFITING from the status quo.
10 FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS like public and private banks,
pension, and investment funds, support industrial animal
production with HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS of euros.
11 MEAT SUBSTITUTES can reduce
meat consumption. The market
is growing fast. PLANT-BASED
alternatives currently play a
big role; CELL-BASED meat – not yet.
12 Despite the global impact of meat, no country in the world has a
STRATEGY TO REDUCE CONSUMPTION or TRANSFORM PRODUCTION.
Governments can play a major role through LAWS.
MEAT ATLAS 2021 11CONSUMPTION
EVERYDAY FOOD AND
LUXURY GOOD
The global demand for meat continues to Each person in Germany consumes an average of 60 kg a
rise due to economic and population growth, year, while in the USA and Australia it is more than 100 kg.
but at a slower pace than 10 years ago. Over the past several years, demand in some developed
countries has been declining slightly due to consumer con-
Poultry accounts for an increasingly large
cerns about health, animal welfare and the environment.
share of consumption. Large differences The biggest growth in meat consumption will take place
remain in consumption per capita between in the developing world. According to the OECD, a club of
countries and among population groups. mostly wealthy countries, demand in the developing world
will rise by four times as much as in the developed world by
2028. Developing countries start from a much lower base
W
orldwide consumption of meat has more than than their developed counterparts but have faster-growing
doubled in the past 20 years, reaching 320 million populations; nevertheless, their additional consumption
tonnes in 2018. The global population has risen, will remain relatively low. This is especially clear in Africa,
as have incomes; both factors contribute roughly equally where overall demand is rising very quickly, but consump-
to rising demand for meat. That’s good news for the meat tion per person is expected to rise only slightly in the next
industry: consumption is forecast to rise by another 13 per- 10 years – from 17 to 17.5 kg per year.
cent by 2028. The most populous country, China, consumes almost
But for many people around the world, meat is still a one-third of the world’s meat and has accounted for one-
luxury item whose consumption depends heavily on in- third of the growth in consumption over the last 20 years,
come. The global economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 even though its per capita consumption is still less than
pandemic has caused many people’s incomes to plummet. half that of the USA. Demand in China is likely to continue
The World Bank estimates that the current crisis will push to rise, though at a much slower rate due to rising concerns
97 million people below the poverty line, and many millions about obesity and a population that is set to shrink from
more will suffer serious financial shortfalls. 2030 onwards.
This is also true for China, the world’s biggest meat In Africa and Asia, meat consumption will overtake pro-
consumer. Along with another virus, African swine fever, duction. Imports will rise, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.
Covid-19 is the main reason for the reduced consumption But the global rise in meat imports will largely be driven by
of pork in 2020. The fight against the pandemic caused the
Chinese economy to grow by only 2.3 percent in 2020 – the
weakest pace since 1976. Although they have five times as many people,
In most of the developed world, meat consumption has developing countries consume less than
remained at a high and fairly constant level for decades. twice as much meat as developed ones MEAT ATLAS 2021 / OECD, FAO
A BAD EXAMPLE FROM THE RICH
Meat consumption in developed and developing countries, by meat type, annual average 2017–19, in 1,000 tonnes
beef and veal poultry per capita consumption
pork sheep (retail weight),
68.6 kilograms per year
29,300 41,200 48,400 2,700
developed countries *
total: 121,600
26.6
40,200 75,100 76,000 12,300
developing countries *
total: 203,600
*
according to current FAO categories, developed: Canada, USA, Europe, CIS, Japan, Israel, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand; developing: all others
12 MEAT ATLAS 2021MEAT ATLAS 2021 / OWID
LANDSCAPE, ECONOMY, TRADITION
Meat consumption by country, per capita, 2017
Kilograms per year
140 less than 20
kg
20 – 40
40 – 60 USA
60 – 80
120 80 – 100
over 100
100
Brazil
Germany
Italy
France
80
Britain
Countries with over 50 million people by economic Russia
performance in US dollars and meat consumption South Korea
Vietnam
in kilograms per year, 2017 Mexico
60
South Africa China
Myanmar
Japan
Philippines
40 Iran
Turkey
Egypt
Pakistan Thailand
20 Kenya
Ethiopia Tanzania Indonesia
Nigeria India
DR Congo (no data)
0
Bangladesh
0 1,000 2,000 5,000 10,000 20,000 50,000 100,000
US dollars
A general rule: the richer a country is, the more meat
Asia (outside of China). The region as a whole is expected to its inhabitants consume. But other factors, like climate
account for around 56 percent of world trade by 2029. or religion, also influence per capita consumption
The major global trends do not apply equally to all types
of meat. While the share of beef and lamb in total consump-
tion is declining, humans are eating more and more pork poorer parts of the world, extreme income inequalities are
and poultry. Poultry alone will account for around half of reflected in per capita meat consumption. Among the elite,
the global growth in consumption in the next decade. In the consumption levels are similar to those in the OECD coun-
USA, for example, per capita consumption of beef has fallen tries, while meat is still a luxury for the much more numer-
by about one-third in the last 30 years, while that of poultry ous lower and lower-middle classes. That is another reason
has more than doubled. This is due, among other things, to meat remains a status symbol for many.
its price advantage and lower fat content. Pork will account
for around 28 percent of the growth in the next decade, driv-
en mainly by rising consumption in Asia. Many Asian and
MEAT ATLAS 2021 / OWID
TOP OF THE PECKING ORDER
African countries, however, consume very little pork due to
Increase in global consumption by type of meat,
the religious beliefs of a significant part of their populations. with bone, in million tonnes
The country-level data on overall demand and average
consumption tell only part of the story. Within each coun- sheep and goats
try, demand varies greatly according to socioeconomic fac- cattle and buffaloes 10.5
350 pigs 15.8
tors. In industrialized regions, meat consumption per per-
poultry 71.6
son tends to decrease with higher education and incomes. 300
other
In addition, women and young people tend to eat less meat 250 120.9
than their older, male counterparts. In Germany, for ex-
200
ample, men on average eat around twice as much meat as
women per day. In the USA – where diets tend to be meat- 150
heavy – men still lead consumption by about 50 percent. In 127.3
100
50
Meat consumption has increased markedly. 0
Growing prosperity is almost as 1961 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2018
important a factor as population growth
MEAT ATLAS 2021 13WORLD TRADE
IN LORRIES AND SHIPS
Trade in meat and live animals is relatively trade in meat and meat products. But many countries still
new and growing fast. Disease outbreaks, use tariffs to protect their meat sector, and strict rules to con-
sanitary restrictions and trade policies can tain livestock diseases hinder many developing countries
from exporting their meat products. This may be because
lead to big swings in trade flow. The big four
they do indeed have problems with particular diseases, or
players are China – which dominates import because they lack the laboratory capacity and institutional
markets – as well as the USA, Brazil and the EU, structures to prove that they are disease-free.
which provide most exports. In any case, livestock diseases are the main reason for
the fragility of international trade flows in meat. Trade
J
ust under 38 million tonnes of meat, comprising may increase markedly over a very short period, or be cut
around 11 percent of annual global production, are off abruptly. The temporary collapse in the market for
traded across national borders each year. Although poultry in Southeast Asia with the emergence of bird flu in
the vast majority of meat stays in the country where it is 1997, and the complete collapse of British beef exports in
produced, the share traded internationally is growing the 1990s after the spread of BSE in the United Kingdom,
steadily. In the 1960s, less than 4 percent of worldwide beef show how embargoes can dry up trade flows almost over-
production was traded across borders; now, it is almost night. After the latter outbreak, the European Commission
20 percent. For poultry the share is around 12 percent; for imposed a worldwide ban on exports of British beef and
pork, 11 percent. beef products.
The reduction of customs tariffs and quotas through the In contrast, global trade actually profited from the out-
World Trade Organization is one reason for the growing break of African swine fever. The disease caused Chinese
pork production to drop by almost 20 percent. As a result, in
2019, China imported 2 million tonnes – 62 percent – more
meat than in the previous year. World trade rose by around
EAST, WEST, HOME‘S BEST
6.9 percent. The biggest winners were Brazilian producers,
Production and trade of meat,
million tonnes which supplied record amounts of poultry and pork to Chi-
na. The EU also expanded its exports: in the first half of 2020,
120
its pork exports were 15 percent above the same period in
the previous year, mainly because exports to China dou-
110
bled. The situation was reversed in late summer 2020, when
African swine fever reached Germany. Customers such as
100 China, South Korea and Japan stopped imports from Germa-
ny. The European Commission revised its positive estimate
90 for exports for 2020, and forecast a drop of 10 percent by the
end of 2021.
80 The meat trade is also a favoured means of exerting
political pressure. Russia banned the import of meat and
70 cheese from Europe as a consequence of the EU sanctions
following the Russian annexation of Crimea. China slowed
60
beef imports from Australia after the government in Can-
berra accused China of being the source of the Covid-19
pandemic. And Saudi Arabia banned poultry imports from
50
Brazil as a warning to that country not to move its embassy
beef production in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
40
pork trade Overall, livestock disease, sanitary restrictions and trade
chicken policies are likely to remain the main factors driving or lim-
30 iting the development of trade in meat. Things were differ-
ent in the past. In the 1960s and 1970s, very little meat was
20 traded internationally due to its perishability. The big shift
occurred through technological advances that made frozen
10 or refrigerated transport possible.
MEAT ATLAS 2021 / USDA
0
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Though public debate over trade has
2021: April forecast. Without stock changes. Import/export: mean value been intense, the share of global meat exports
is relatively low and rising only slowly
14 MEAT ATLAS 2021TOP 5 IMPORTERS AND EXPORTERS
International trade in beef, pork and chicken, 2020, 1,000 tonnes
1,467
1,412
Canada 1,543 832
609 EU 4,546
1,005
5,281
Japan
Ukraine 428 999
2,782
1,516 USA 3,303 549 554
Turkey 440
China South Korea
1,341
945 618 Saudi Arabia 513 378
Mexico 344
India Hong Kong
842
Thailand
1,284
874
3,741
Brazil
2,539
1,178
1,476 Australia
MEAT ATLAS 2021 / USDA
imports exports
beef beef
Argentina 819
pork pork
chicken chicken
Only a few countries are engaged strongly in
The number of live animals traded has also risen stead- the international meat trade. They include
ily. In 2017 – the year with the most recent data available Brazil, China, the EU and the USA
– almost 2 billion live animals were traded, and since 2003
the global market has doubled to about 24 billion euros.
Poultry make up by far the greatest amount of livestock Exports are also concentrated in a small number of
traded, though other species are also shipped live. Pigs are countries. The three biggest exporters, Brazil, the USA and
destined mainly for the USA and Poland, while most sheep the EU, will account for around 60 percent of all meat ex-
and cattle are sent to the Arab world. Overall, a large pro- ports by the end of the decade, according to FAO. Demand
portion of live animals are traded regionally. Some 70 per- for meat is already saturated in many developed countries
cent of the animals traded by the EU are moved from one and is likely to fall. Depending on how production condi-
member country to another, with each country handling a tions change, the EU and the US will increasingly focus their
different part of the value chain. Piglets born in Denmark, production on serving the export market.
for example, are taken to Poland for fattening. Land trans-
port is limited to a maximum of 8 hours a day. But there is
no time limit for animals loaded onto ships: their journey
BRAZIL: WORLD EXPORT CHAMPION
may last for weeks.
Share of global meat trade, percent
Worldwide demand for meat is forecast to continue
to grow over the next decade. The OECD and FAO predict 40 beef pork chicken
that global meat production will rise by almost 13 percent
35
between 2019 and 2029, and that international trade will
30
grow by 12 percent. The most important market player is
China, with its huge demand pulling in around one-third of 25
world imports. Developing countries will also import more 20
as their rapidly rising demand outstrips local supply, and as
15
many small-scale local producers struggle to compete with
10
cheap imports.
MEAT ATLAS 2021 / USDA
5
0
A big portion of the meat that enters the 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
international trade – either as living animals 2021: forecast
or after slaughter – comes from Brazil
MEAT ATLAS 2021 15MERCOSUR
TRADING AWAY THE ENVIRONMENT
The Association Agreement between the EU in July 2020, forecasts that beef imports will rise by 30 to
European Union and the Mercosur countries 64 percent under the individual provisions. In a study of its
raises concerns with regards to meat and own, the French government calculates that the facilitated
market access for beef from Mercosur could increase de-
feed, as well as the rainforest and the climate.
forestation there by at least 5 percent a year over a period of
Meanwhile, the EU is worried about cheap 6 years. Those are far-reaching consequences, even though
imports, and resistance is growing. Whether beef exports to the EU are a relatively small part of total pro-
the deal will actually come into force is duction in Mercosur – which exceed 11 million tonnes of live-
questionable. weight and 7.8 million tonnes of carcass weight a year.
Beef is already one of the main drivers of deforesta-
I
t took more than 20 years for the European Union and tion today. It leads to the destruction of the livelihoods of
the Mercosur countries – Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and indigenous and small-scale farming communities. In the
Paraguay – to negotiate an agreement for their two eco- Amazon, cattle graze on 63 percent of all deforested land.
nomic areas. The draft deal envisages eliminating customs Half the agricultural products shipped from Brazil to the
duties, after a transitional period, on 92 percent of imports EU – mainly soybeans, beef and coffee – can be traced back
from Mercosur to the EU, and on 91 percent of the trade go- to deforestation.
ing in the opposite direction. That would greatly ease the ex- Exports of poultry and pork would also increase as a re-
port of agricultural products such as ethanol and beef from sult of the agreement. Some 180,000 tonnes of poultry meat
South America, and of items such as vehicles, machinery and per year could be imported into Europe duty-free, on top of
chemicals from Europe to the Mercosur states. If the agree- the 392,000 tonnes allowed today. Another 25,000 tonnes
ment is approved by the Council of the European Union, of pork would be added at a low-tariff rate. This would near-
then the European Parliament and the parliaments of EU ly double the EU’s pork imports from Mercosur, which cur-
member states, as well as the governments of the Mercosur rently total around 33,000 tonnes a year.
countries, will also have to give their consent before it can Similar predictions have been made for soybeans, which
come into force. are used mainly as livestock feed in the European meat in-
Between 70 and 80 percent of all beef imports in the EU dustry. Brazil is the world’s biggest soy exporter. The EU’s
currently come from Mercosur. The agreement would ex-
pand this. On top of the 200,000 tonnes of beef that enter the
European Union from the area every year, another 99,000 Mercosur does not depend too greatly on the EU as an export
tonnes could be imported with zero or minimal customs du- market. As long as China is a big customer, the EU will have
ties. The Sustainability Impact Assessment, published by the limited influence on Mercosur’s forest protection policies
EUROPE – NOT THE CENTRE OF THE MERCOSUR WORLD 43.3
Mercosur member countries’ foreign trade: share of food- and feed-related exports to the EU and the world,
percent of total trade, 2019 5.3
commodities
food and feed exports to the EU exports to EU exports to the world 35.3
food and feed exports to the world meat
Paraguay
soybean oil
width of bars: total trade volume, billion euros soybeans Uruguay
maize 19.1
30 8 1.5 1 14.6
23.0
21.3 21.7 21.3
Brazil
2.7 5.5
Argentina 11.6
9.1 4.7
MEAT ATLAS 2021 / EUROSTAT, COMTRADE
11.0 11.2
20.7
8.1 14.2
2.8 5.2 17.5
1.0
0.4 0.1 5.4
5.6 0.2
5.0
7.0 6.7
4.3
2.6 2.4
differences due to rounding
16 MEAT ATLAS 2021UNEQUAL TRADERS
Mercosur and the European Union compared
population 2021*
European Union
gross domestic product 2021*
Mercosur
2,002
Paraguay
Brazil
billion US dollars
17,371
billion US dollars
Uruguay population:
448 million
Argentina
population:
270 million
Europe’s trade importance for Mercosur, 2019 Latin America’s trade importance for the EU, 2019
Latin America Latin America
and the Caribbean and the Caribbean
(non-Mercosur) (including Mercosur)
Europe (including EU)
other
Europe (including
intra-EU trade)
MEAT ATLAS 2021 / WIKIPEDIA, ITSY
other Eastern Asia
Eastern Asia
Northern America Northern America
*
estimate. EU: without UK
In theory, international trade talks take place
Sustainability Impact Assessment predicts that imports of between equal partners. In reality, the less dependent
soybeans and other oilseeds from Mercosur could rise by partner has most of the advantages on its side
up to 5.9 percent, with serious ecological consequences. Ac-
cording to a 2019 study, almost two-thirds of the pesticides
sold in Brazil are applied in soybean and sugarcane cultiva- cause of falling prices. Non-governmental organizations
tion. The deal with the EU would eliminate duties on pesti- criticize the preferential treatment given to pesticide ex-
cides imported into Mercosur, which may now be as high ports, as well as the consequences for the climate. More and
as 14 percent. Trade in pesticides would be strengthened, more EU member states are also expressing scepticism or
to the benefit of the European and especially the German even criticism. In France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland
chemical industry. and Austria, governments and parliaments agree that the
The EU–Mercosur agreement would not only have a agreement cannot be ratified in its current form. The Ger-
negative impact on forests and biodiversity in parts of South man chancellor has also expressed concerns.
America. It would also harm the climate. More carbon diox- In a non-binding resolution, the EU Parliament voted for
ide would be emitted because of further deforestation and changes. The EU Trade Commissioner, Valdis Dombrovskis,
increased production and transport. The French impact as- has stated that the agreement would not be reopened and
sessment even shows that under such conditions, the pro- renegotiated. Amendments would be limited to protocol
duction of a kilogram of beef is responsible for four times annexes, roadmaps and similar details. This has been the
the greenhouse-gas emissions as the equivalent in Europe. case for other EU agreements. The ratification process has
It is not yet certain that the agreement will actually already been put on hold until after 2021. But that does not
come into force. The amount of criticism is too great. Farm- mean it has been put on ice, as Bernd Lange, Chair of the EU
ers in Europe fear that they will not be able to compete be- Parliament’s Trade Committee, has emphasized.
MEAT ATLAS 2021 17PRODUCTION
PROBLEM FOODS AND
THEIR PRODUCERS
The world’s meat production has grown ing point. The continent now produces around 20 million
rapidly, fed by rising demand and tonnes of meat a year.
made possible by technological advances The increases in productivity over the last decades are
mainly a result of technical innovations. Fewer and few-
in livestock farming. But this has had
er animals are raised on pasture. A large proportion of
serious consequences for animal welfare meat comes from livestock kept indoors or on feedlots,
and small-scale producers. where large numbers of animals are penned in a small
outdoor area. Intensive and industrial management
F
or the first time since 1961, global meat production have increasingly replaced extensive production meth-
did not rise in 2019, but actually fell by 2 percent to ods in many countries. Innovations in the fields of animal
325 million tonnes. The main cause was not declining genetics, management and the use of antibiotics have
demand, but an outbreak of African swine fever. In China, permitted individual farms to raise more and more animals,
this pig disease led to a 10 percent decrease in meat produc- and to increase the amount of meat each animal produces.
tion, and over 20 percent less pork output. While production in most of the developed world is
Before the outbreak, China produced twice as much largely mechanized, two types of systems still exist in the
pork as the European Union and more than five times as global South: small-scale, extensive producers alongside
much as the United States. Despite the slump in output, Chi- capital-intensive industrialized enterprises. The Interna-
na remains the world’s biggest meat producer, at over 88 tional Livestock Research Institute estimates that about
million tonnes a year, way ahead of the USA, the EU, Brazil 600 million people earn their livelihoods from small-scale
and Russia. livestock production. They sell their animals to customers
Looking back, global meat production has grown rap- in local markets, or raise them for home consumption. They
idly over the past few decades. In the 1970s, it totalled just come into contact with the global value chains of industri-
one-third of current levels. At that time, the EU and USA
led the list of producers; however, they were overtaken by
China by 1990. This country has boosted output more than China drastically reduced its pig meat production
tenfold in the last 50 years. Production in Africa has also in 2019 due to an African swine fever outbreak. But
quadrupled since the 1970s, but from a relatively low start- growth continues to rise in many parts of the world
MEAT ATLAS 2021 / OWID, FAO
BOOM BUSINESS
Trends in meat production in major production countries and selected
individual EU member states,* million tonnes
90 China 9
80 8 Germany
Spain
70 7
60 6
50 5 Poland
France
40 EU-28 4 Italy
30 Brazil 3
20 2
Netherlands
USA Russia
10 1
India
0 Argentina 0
1961 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2021 1961 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2019
*
including United Kingdom. 2020: estimate, 2021: forecast. Germany pre-1990: including East Germany. Reduction of East German meat production after unification with West Germany
18 MEAT ATLAS 2021MEAT ATLAS 2021 / OECD, FAO
FOR ALL THE PORK IN CHINA
Largest producing countries of major animal products, annual average 2017–19,
in 1,000 tonnes
50,500
23,100
21,800 5,000
3,700
1,600
230
13,200
Russia
11,900
11,800
7,300
650
13,800 China
70
EU-27*
USA
9,100 3,700
2,500
300 740
20,400
4,000 India
120
Brazil
2,900
2,100
600 50
Argentina
6,500
4,800
cattle pigs poultry sheep
*
EU 27 without United Kingdom
The production of meat and milk
al meat production if they lose their local market share to results not only in food, but in problems
– sometimes cheaper – industrial products. for people and the environment
Looking into the future, the Organisation for Econom-
ic Co-operation and Development (OECD) predicts that
global meat production will continue to grow, though at a of global meat production. Today, it is 35 percent. In the
somewhat slower rate. It is expected to increase by another next 10 years, poultry is expected to make up almost half of
40 million tonnes a year by 2029 – one year before the tar- the increase in total meat output. Low production and retail
get year for the Sustainable Development Goals. That would costs, as well as a short production cycle, have led to chicken
take the total output to around 366 million tonnes a year, being the meat of choice for producers and consumers alike.
unless policy changes intervene. Although 80 percent of the Moreover, the genetic changes that have been achieved
growth is likely to take place in the global South, the biggest in poultry breeding eclipse those in other livestock spe-
producers will remain China, Brazil, the USA and the mem- cies. Comparisons with traditional breeds show that high-
bers of the European Union. By 2029 these countries might performance breeds grow four times faster but need only
still produce 60 percent of worldwide meat output. But In- half as much feed. But precisely these breeding develop-
dia, a country that produces and consumes relatively little ments can have serious health consequences for the birds,
meat, has markedly increased its poultry production and is and therefore attract criticism from animal welfare organ-
now one of the world’s 10 largest poultry producers. izations. For example, rapid weight gain can lead to joint
While the three most important types of livestock are and foot problems and bone inflammation.
pigs, cattle and poultry birds, the distribution of livestock The industrialization of livestock farming and the ris-
species varies considerably around the world. Countries ing numbers of farm animals require more and more feed
with large Muslim and Hindu populations produce and con- made from cereals and oilseeds. This in turn makes it nec-
sume very little pork, while pigs account for a large share of essary to convert forests and pastures into arable land. Its
production in China, the EU and the USA. negative effects on the climate and the environment have
Poultry remains the fastest-growing sector in the meat made meat one of the most problematic consumer goods
industry. Just 50 years ago, it accounted for only 12 percent in the world.
MEAT ATLAS 2021 19ABATTOIRS
CHOPPING BUT NOT CHANGING
Covid-19 outbreaks in abattoirs and workers in the Brazilian meat industry were infected, and
processing plants are just the latest in a dozens died in the first wave of the pandemic. Poultry plants
long list of problems in the meat industry. belonging to the world’s largest meat companies, JBS and
BRF, were criticized for refusing to provide their workers
Low wages, hard work, and precarious
with the necessary equipment to protect them against infec-
employment are the price that workers pay tion. The authorities in Rio Grande do Sul linked one-third
to supply us with cheap meat. The industry of all Covid-19 cases to local cold-storage facilities. In Mato
is attempting to dodge its responsibility Grosso do Sul, one-quarter of the workers in a cattle abattoir
to provide decent conditions for its staff. owned by JBS tested positive for the virus. At the main facto-
ry of Tönnies, Germany’s biggest pork processor, more than
1,500 of its 6,100 staff were found to be infected.
I
n early 2020, it emerged that over 200 of the 3,700 em- The Covid crisis has shined a spotlight on the poor work-
ployees at Smithfield in Sioux Falls, one of the biggest pork ing conditions in the meat-processing industry around the
processors in the US, had been infected with Covid-19. world. A long list of factors has contributed to the spread
After an intervention by the federal government, the plant of the virus in the industry, including a lack of social dis-
was classified as a “critical infrastructure industry” and was tancing, poor housing conditions for workers, a lack of in-
not closed immediately on the grounds that a shutdown spections, cold temperatures, and insufficient ventilation.
would lead to supply shortages. It was only after 700 workers Management, on the other hand, likes to blame the workers
had contracted the virus that production was finally halted for the disease outbreaks. Even when there were cases of
for three weeks. tuberculosis in German plants in 2018 and 2019, manag-
Sioux Falls was no exceptional case. Mass infections of ers denied responsibility. During the Covid-19 crisis, politi-
workers occurred in numerous slaughterhouses and meat cians and managers have used racist stereotypes of migrant
processing plants around the world. Tens of thousands of workers to “explain” the infections: the “living conditions of
certain cultures” are supposed to make workers want to live
close together.
Criticism of the labour conditions in the meat industry is
LARGEST SLAUGHTERHOUSES AROUND THE WORLD
by no means new. In many countries, slaughterhouses em-
Selected abattoirs by capacity, area or year founded
ploy people whose residence status forces them to accept
low wages and poor working conditions. In many parts of
The world’s largest abattoir by capacity is a plant in
Tar Heel, North Carolina, USA. Built in 1992 and operated Europe, labour turnover rates are correspondingly high.
by the Chinese-owned Smithfield group, it can slaughter A large proportion of the staff in the meat sector are cross-
36,000 pigs daily. border or migrant workers from both within and, increas-
ingly, from outside the EU. The work is frequently physical-
In Europe, the Italian-owned ly demanding with repetitive hand movements, excessive
Litera Meat plant in Binéfar working hours and exposure to health hazards.
In China’s decentralized near Huesca, Spain, opened A report by EFFAT, a European trade union federation,
industry structure, its in 2019 with a capacity of
warns that many workers are employed through temporary
largest hog slaughter- more than 22,000 pigs per
house is set to open day, or 160,000 a week, sur- work agencies or subcontractors that enable the meat plants
in late 2021. Techbank passing what was previously to escape liability. In some countries, the subcontractors
Food’s plant in Fuyang, the continent’s largest plant, operate as bogus cooperatives, with the workers classified
Anhui province, will operated by Danish Crown as self-employed. The practice of “posting” workers – em-
have a capacity of in Horsens, Denmark, by
ploying workers in one country but having them perform
14,000 pigs per day. 60,000 animals per week.
the work in another – still occurs, though it is becoming less
common. “Letterbox” companies are also frequent. These
have a mailing address in one country but conduct their
India’s largest abattoir by business in another. Such tricks enable employers to evade
capacity is said to be the or circumvent stricter regulations concerning remunera-
One of the world’s largest municipal plant in Deonar tion, social security and taxes in the host country.
MEAT ATLAS 2021 / MEDIA REPORTS
cattle slaughterhouses near Mumbai, slaughtering The enormous expansion of meat production facilities
is a plant in Dakota City, 6,000 goats and sheep per
and abattoirs in recent years has been accompanied by ris-
Nebraska, USA. Operated day. The largest plant by area
by Tyson Fresh Meats, is Al-Kabeer’s 400-hectare
it processes more than buffalo slaughterhouse in
7,000 cattle a day. Rudraram, Hyderabad. The enormous economy of scale in slaughterhouses
has resulted in huge units with a
far-flung network of dependent animal suppliers
20 MEAT ATLAS 2021MEAT ATLAS 2021 / FAOSTAT
LIVING RAW MATERIALS FOR MEAT FACTORIES WORLDWIDE
Animals slaughtered, 2019, by region, major livestock, million (mn) and billion (bn) head
cattle
pigs
sheep and goats
chickens 724.2 mn
325.5 mn
77.4 mn
40.0 mn
93.3 mn
North America Europe
Asia
151.8 mn
3.8 mn 659.6 mn
63.4 mn
28.6 mn
7.1 mn 12.5 mn
Central America & Caribbean
Oceania
Africa 55.8 mn
South America 280.1 mn
8.5 mn
73.7 mn 41.7 mn 13.2 mn
21.3 mn 36.2 mn
60.5 mn
32.7 bn Asia
11.5 bn Europe
10.1 bn North America
9.3 bn South America
4.7 bn Africa
2.9 bn Central America & Caribbean
0.8 bn Oceania
75 billion animals – the vast majority
ing numbers of migrants working in the industry. It is also of them poultry birds – are killed every year
marked by the internationalization of corporate structures. to satisfy humankind’s hunger for meat
For example, Smithfield, the largest pork producer in the
Western world with over 100,000 employees, is now part
of WH Group, which is headquartered in Hong Kong. JBS, a industry, European food trade unions are demanding that
Brazilian beef producer firm with over 200,000 workers, has the EU create a legally binding instrument to ensure that
been active in the US market for years. In the USA, the dete- employers are jointly liable throughout the whole subcon-
rioration in working conditions has been accompanied by tracting chain. This should provide for sanctions, back pay-
fierce disputes. Between 1994 and 2008, Smithfield was the ments and compensation if the industry does not respect la-
scene of a long-lasting battle over union rights and decent bour laws. A European solution is needed because the sector
working conditions. Even though this struggle ended in de- is mobile. The boom in the German meat industry is rooted
feat for the workers, demands for better labour rights, social in the shift in production from Denmark and the Nether-
rights and secure residence are still on the table. lands, where wages are higher and collective agreements
To put an end to the poor working conditions in the meat generally protect workers better.
MEAT ATLAS 2021 21MEAT WASTE
A LOT LESS THAN THE WHOLE HOG
The meat industry used to be famous for alive for fattening. In France, over 50 million male chicks are
using “everything about the hog except killed each year directly after they hatch.
the squeal”. But a large proportion of the On the other hand, performance-oriented breeding and
poor husbandry conditions lead to animals dying during the
livestock raised for food do not end up as food.
rearing stage. Denmark, a much smaller country than Ger-
Many die, or are killed, before they reach many, Spain and France, has the fourth highest pig popula-
the slaughterhouse, and even more meat is tion in Europe. The average litter size for pigs has risen in re-
wasted between the factory and the plate. cent years to 19.4 piglets per sow – five more within just one
decade. The problem is that the average sow has only 14 or
A
t the start of the 1990s, Europeans were shocked to see 15 functioning teats. As a result, the piglets are smaller and
photos of hundreds of thousands of dead cattle. Yet more delicate, and many die at birth or within the first few
BSE, or “mad cow” disease, was not the last disease out- days of life. The mortality of suckling piglets in Denmark is
break to result in the culling and disposal of large numbers around 15 percent, or about 3 million dead animals a year.
of animals that had been intended for human consumption. In all, 28 percent of animals die at various stages of pregnan-
After BSE came bird flu, and after that, African swine fever. cy, rearing and fattening.
Experts estimate that this last disease, which is highly conta- In Germany, the average litter size is just above 15. Still,
gious in pigs, resulted in the deaths of up to 200 million pigs around 16 percent of all suckling piglets die. Because of Ger-
in China, either directly or culled as a precaution. many’s higher pig population, that adds up to 8.6 million
Even without such disease outbreaks, many animals die dead piglets a year.
before they can be taken to the abattoir. In France alone, A lot of loss occurs after slaughter too, as by no means do
more than 200 million animals are killed every year without all parts of the animal end up on dinner plates. Because meat
being used as meat. These include animals that die while
they are being reared, or that are culled and disposed of for
economic reasons. In Germany, up to 200,000 male dairy Offal such as pig heads and chicken feet, worth
calves and 45 million male chicks of layer breeds die because nearly $30 billion a year, is scorned in producing
they would produce too little meat, so are not worth keeping countries but finds a ready market elsewhere
UNWANTED AT HOME, BUT WELCOME ABROAD
Main offal exporters, 2020, million US dollars Global offal markets and main
importer, 2020, million US dollars
bovine animals, swine, sheep, goats, other livestock 2,660
poultry
755 8,300
1,460
20,400
4,440
867
348 4,487
409 Denmark
Germany
Canada
Poland
3,840 633 808 total
main importer
USA Belgium
654
3,130 China and Hong Kong
826 599
France 2,610
Spain
802
Thailand
MEAT ATLAS 2021 / TRIDGE
Brazil
Netherlands 633
Australia
22 MEAT ATLAS 2021LOSSES BETWEEN STALL AND STOMACH
Meat and dairy waste per food supply chain stage in the EU, 2011,* Meat/dairy available in
million tonnes the EU, million tonnes,
and percentage wasted
primary production processing, manufacturing retail and distribution consumption
23 %
meat 61.7
0.5 2.9 1.7 9.0
MEAT ATLAS 2021 / CALDEIRA ET AL.
meat 5%
0.5 1.1 0.4 4.8 dairy 150.2
dairy
*
most recent data available, data still in use
Meat and dairy waste is highest among consumers in
has become relatively cheap, consumers in many countries private households and restaurants. However,
have become choosy: they eat only certain cuts. Along with non-edible waste somewhat distorts the picture
Romania, Poland has the lowest meat prices in the Europe-
an Union. The average Polish consumer ate 77.1 kilograms
of meat and offal in 2019, a rise of 9 percent over 2005. But value chain. In the developing world, better veterinary care
the consumption of fat and offal fell by 9 percent in the same and refrigeration would help. In the developed world, live-
period. Even if these animal parts are not thrown away but stock farmers can adopt husbandry methods that avoid high
are used in industry, they are no longer food. losses, along with more robust breeds and, in pigs, smaller
Poultry is becoming more and more popular. Per cap- litters. Multipurpose breeds of cattle and chickens would
ita Polish consumption in 2019 was 28.3 kilograms, some avoid the economic pressure to kill males. An increasing
21 percent higher than in 2005. Meanwhile, Poland has volume of somewhat dearer eggs from dual-purpose hens
become the largest poultry producer in Europe. EU citizens is now coming on the market. These breeds lay fewer eggs,
prefer chicken breasts; other parts, such as wings and drum- but the males also produce meat. From 2022 on, shredding
sticks, are often frozen and exported to Asia and Africa. day-old chicks will be banned in France. Germany and Spain
Only 60 percent of a slaughtered pig in Germany ends up have gone a step further, deciding to ban the killing of day-
as cutlets or sausage on a plate. The parts not suited for hu- old chicks.
man consumption, such as bones, hooves and some internal The waste of food can be avoided primarily through a
organs, are rendered into food for pets or fish, used in the greater appreciation of its worth. Consumers could, for ex-
chemical or fertilizer industry, or turned into biofuel. Out ample, reflect on the need to use the whole animal, as used
of the 8.6 million tonnes of total slaughter weight in 2019, to be the case. Instead of always opting for steak or chicken
around 2.6 million tonnes of such “animal by-products” breast on the menu, they might occasionally choose a less
were used in these ways. Further losses occur during whole- popular type of meat or offal. That would also be a gain for
sale and retail trade, as well as at the consumption stage, culinary diversity.
as items pass their sell-by dates or food is prepared for con-
sumption but not actually eaten. In 2016, the most recent
data available, 11.9 percent of global meat production was
INVISIBLE DEAD
lost between slaughter and retail.
Sow and piglet mortality in
That amounts to 39 million tonnes, or the equivalent of industrial pig meat production,
115 million cattle or 413 million pigs. Such high losses rep- EU, 2019, percent
resent an enormous waste of resources, as these animals 7,1 % sow mortality
had to be reared and fed, even though they never ended up
as human food. While inadequate refrigeration is the main
problem in the global South in the developed world the
disposal of food that is fit for consumption is mainly to 13.2 % pre-weaning mortality
blame. Studies estimate that this accounts for between
4 and 11 percent of the quantity actually consumed in Eu-
rope. This is also because meat, with its comparatively cheap
prices, is becoming less and less valued as a type of food.
3.3 % rearing mortality
Losses and waste can be reduced at each stage in the
MEAT ATLAS 2021 / AHDB
2.8 % finishing mortality
The numbers of animals that die prematurely show the
ruthlessness of the meat industry. They represent wasted feed including UK
and land used to grow it, and a burden on the environment
MEAT ATLAS 2021 23You can also read
