Animal Lives Affected by Meat Consumption Trends in the G20 Countries

Author:

van der Laan Sytske1,Breeman Gerard2ORCID,Scherer Laura1ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, 2333 CC Leiden, The Netherlands

2. Institute of Public Administration, Leiden University, P.O. Box 13228, 2501 EE Den Haag, The Netherlands

Abstract

Trends in dietary habits have far-reaching implications, but their impact on animals remains insufficiently explored, as many people continue to dissociate meat from individual animal lives. This research study quantifies the temporal development of the number of animal lives affected by meat consumption within the G20 countries between 1961 and 2020 and forecasts for 2030. Production (including slaughter) and historical and projected food balance data were analyzed to explore these trends. The results indicate an increase in the number of animal lives affected due to increasing consumption, but discrepancies exist between different countries and animal categories. Increases are stronger in emerging countries, such as China, than in more industrialized countries, such as Germany. Overall, the number of animals affected grows 1.7 times as fast as meat consumption due to a shift towards poultry. Poultry birds are affected by far the most, and their dominance in number only slightly reduces when considering the differentiated moral values of the animals, reflecting their sentience. Until 2030, we can expect further increases in the number of animal lives affected. The findings highlight the need for progressive legislation to address the complex trade-offs and challenges in reversing the increasing trends in the number of animals affected.

Publisher

MDPI AG

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