Germany

Germany: Meat substitutes continue to trend

Whether tofu sausage, soy patty or veggie burger – the market for vegetarian or vegan alternatives to meat is still growing. In 2022, companies in Germany produced 6.5% more meat substitutes compared to the previous year, and production even increased by 72.7% compared to 2019, according to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).

Posted on May 11 ,00:10

In 2022, 104,300 tons of meat substitutes were produced, compared to around 97,900 tons in the previous year. The value of these products increased in 2022 compared to the previous year by 17.3% to 537.4 million euros (2021: 458.2 million euros). The number of companies producing in Germany also increased from 44 in 2021 to 51 last year.

Despite this increase, the value of meat substitutes is relatively small compared to meat products. In 2022, the value of meat and meat products produced in Germany was 42.4 billion euros - almost 80 times the value of meat substitutes. In 2019, the value of meat and meat products produced in Germany (40.1 billion euros) was almost 150 times that of meat substitutes (around 0.3 billion euros).

In Germany, less and less meat has been consumed for years: According to the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE), per capita consumption was 52.0 kilograms per capita in 2022. That was a drop of almost 15% compared to 2012 (60.9 kilos per capita) and the lowest value since consumption calculations began in 1989.