Share of vegans and vegetarians largely unchanged in Germany – govt report
Clean Energy Wire
The share of people in Germany who say that their diet does not contain meat has remained largely unchanged in recent years, figures in the agriculture ministry's nutrition report 2024 show. Two percent of respondents in a survey conducted in May this year said that they are vegan, and eight percent vegetarian – the same shares as last year. Forty-one percent said they are flexitarian, meaning they occasionally consume meat but consciously reduce it from their diets. "This is the group where most action is being taken," as companies increase their alternative offers, agriculture minister Cem Özdemir said during a press conference.
Reducing the environmental impact of food is one of the key priorities of the agriculture ministry's nutritional strategy, which aims to make healthy and sustainable food more accessible for everyone. Reducing meat consumption would slash methane emissions from cattle, free up land, and reduce deforestation and nitrogen losses. The strategy includes measures such as increasing the vegetarian offers at schools and day-care centres, and expanding organic farming in Germany to 30 percent by 2030.
The annual nutrition report covers consumer preferences and expectations for food, including food choice criteria, importance of nutritional information, and expectations of the agriculture and food industry. This year, three in four respondents agreed with the statement that it is important that people eat less meat for climate protection. Almost a quarter (23%) of respondents said they eat meat every day, compared to 20 percent in 2023 – the first time the share has grown since the first survey in 2015. The proportion of people eating vegan or vegetarian meat alternatives on a daily basis remained at ten percent. The highest priority for consumers in Germany when choosing food was consistently taste and health, but climate protection also ranks high.
The number of people in Germany who say they have bought vegan or vegetarian alternatives to animal products more than once continues to rise, although about half of respondents said they have never done so (47%). Consumers buying meat and dairy alternatives — such as tofu or seitan, soy or oat milk — rose to 39 percent this year, compared to 29 percent in 2020. Reasons to buy these products include curiosity (69%), taste (64%), animal welfare (63%) and the climate and environment (60%).
