Meat consumption varies widely in Belgium with eating habits changing drastically between older and younger groups. Location appears to have an impact as well. In Brussels, more than a fifth of the population doesn't eat meat.
In total, 11% of Belgians don't consume meat, according to research carried out by consumer organisation BV-Oeco which surveyed 1,705 Belgians about their views on meat. The study was published by FPS Economy.
It also found that men are more likely to eat meat than women. Furthermore, the older a person is, the more likely that the individual has meat as part of their diet.
But where you live is also a significant factor – twice as many residents in Brussels don't eat meat compared to Flanders and Wallonia. Yet this isn't to say that everyone in the capital is completely vegetarian. A third of respondents in Brussels (32%) said they eat fish, which is more than in both Flanders (28%) and Wallonia (24%).
When it comes to age, 28% of people between 16 and 24 don't eat meat; this percentage dropped the older the respondents were.
Unaware of impact
Belgians mostly consume meat for the taste and because it is easy to prepare, the study indicated. 20-25% of respondents believe that meat production is animal and environmentally friendly, while a third believe that meat consumption is bad for both the environment and animals.
Research from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) highlights the negative impact of meat consumption on the environment: 14.5% of greenhouse gases come from livestock farming which emits not only CO2 but also methane and nitrous oxide – gases which are vastly more problematic than CO2 for global warming.
Animal rights campaigners have underlined the animal cruelty from factory farming, a system which makes raising livestock more efficient, but with hugely detrimental effects to animal welfare. The EU has recognised animals as sentient beings, yet animals are nonetheless routinely exploited and maltreated.
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56-65% of Belgians want to maintain their current meat consumption and 5-15% want more. 14-27% want to reduce their meat intake. A quarter of respondents want to eat less meat.
People choose to reduce meat intake to boost their own health for animal welfare. The cost of food or the environment play a lesser role in deciding consumption habits. Respondents who opt for alternatives to meat generally choose eggs, fish and dairy products.
A quarter of respondents are considering hybrid meat – a mix between an animal product and vegetables. One fifth are open to laboratory-grown meat or insect products.
