Sweden reports another year of decline in meat consumption
2018 is the second year in a row when Swedes are eating less meat than usual. Last year, the average consumption of meat in Sweden dropped by 2.6% (2.2 kilograms), the biggest yearly reduction since the Swedish Board of Agriculture started recording the figures in 1990, and this year the trend continued, with a 2.8% overall decline in meat consumption recorded in the first three quarters of this year.
On average, Swedes consumed 1.8 fewer kilograms of meat through the first nine months of 2018, according to official data presented by The Local newspaper.
“Market trends, climate considerations, a focus on health and animal ethics are all factors in our current consumption trends,”, mentioned Asa Lannhard Oberg, spokesperson for the Swedish Board of Agriculture.
Nevertheless, the country was confronted with a large number of wildfires this year, which led to a ban on all kinds of open fire, including barbecue but this is just one way to look at the situation."Meat sales declined in many stores during the summer as a result of the barbecue ban, but consumption is also decreasing longer-term so there we can’t just point to the summer months to explain the decline", explained Asa Lannhard Oberg.
Despite the trend to reduce the meat intake, Sweedish producers have no reason to be alarmed as the consumers are preferring home-grown products. Official data collected by the Swedish Board of Agriculture showed that demand for Swedish meat and poultry increased significantly. Domestic lamb led the way, with a six percent increase, while Swedish beef increased by 4.4 percent, pork by 3.2 and Swedish poultry by 2.3 percent. One way to explain the consumer's preferences is that the country's agricultural sector is focused on environmental sustainability.
(Photo source: Slow Travel Stockholm)
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