We have some fantastic news for animals and the environment! A recent survey done by The Grocer revealed that 12 percent of U.K. consumers follow a meat-free diet! The Harris Interactive Study of more than 2,000 people showed that six percent were vegetarian, four percent pescatarian, and two percent vegan. If that doesn’t sound like much, the research suggests that 7.8 million Brits have given meat the boot and 3.9 million identify as vegetarian. The research also found that 25 percent of people plan to reduce their meat consumption in the next 12 months. Woohoo!
Why the meat-free shift? 31 percent of Brits made changes to their diet due to animal welfare concerns, with one-fifth worried about the environmental impact of meat. One in six had concerns around the ethics of meat, a figure higher among shoppers aged 18-44. Not surprisingly, millennials are leading the way to a meat-free future: 35 percent of the people planning to reduce their meat consumption in the next 12 months fall into this category. As one of the most powerful consumer groups, this is promising news.
“With persistent media campaigns promoting plant-based eating, and a wide range of meat alternatives readily available, it perhaps isn’t surprising that consumers are thinking about changing their ways,” said Lucia Juliano, head of CPG and Retail research at Harris.
When you take into account the toll industrialized animal agriculture is having on the environment, animals, and people’s health, a shift to plant-based foods is needed to save the planet. Our current global food system, which is dominated by industrial meat and dairy, is pushing our land and water resources to their absolute limit. What’s more, the animal agriculture industry is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than the entire transportation sector combined. Given the seriousness of the issue, we are thrilled to see a shift in consumer behavior, simply by opting for more plant-based foods!
Curious about the impact of your food choices on the planet? Check out the new #EatForThePlanet book!
Image Source: lmsteinmann/Pixabay
Fish are not vegetables… They are injured and suffocate when they are caught. So the statistics given in this article are deceiving:
The Grocer revealed that 12 percent of U.K. consumers follow a meat-free diet! The Harris Interactive Study of more than 2,000 people showed that six percent were vegetarian, four percent pescatarian, and two percent vegan
First it is not a survey of the entire population, just the 2000 in the study… Then it lists pescatarians as meat free… So in reality 8% of 2000 sureveyed do not eat meat…. That is different than the picture painted by this article….
You can\’t fake compassion with by finagling statistics…
Agreed! Not to mention fish is not healthier than red meat and the current level of ocean fishing is destroying out oceans. We already have a number of dead zones and fish dependent animals dying off at an alarming rate( whales, sharks, polar bears to name a few).
I hate that the word "vegetarian" has been hijacked in all sorts of ways to give people an excuse. The original meaning was essentially vegan. Fish, eggs and dairy are not plants. Replacing your meat with dairy or fish is of no help to the planet or your own body.