Home » Swiss carnivores are used to paying (too) little for meat

Swiss carnivores are used to paying (too) little for meat

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ZURICH – Carnivorous and evil Swiss. It is a widespread prejudice, but how true? Tamedia and 20 Minuten conducted a survey on the matter, and it emerged that although it has been decreasing for years, the consumption of meat is still very widespread and loved in our country.

23,000 people took part in the survey in October. 56 percent of respondents say they eat meat several times a week, 13 percent even every day. On the other side of the “fence” is 14 percent of people who indulge in a carnivorous meal less than once a week, or never. In the middle there are moderate habituals, 17 percent: once a week, no more and no less.

Another fact that emerged from the survey is that all, or almost all, are “bad” carnivores. That is, used to paying very low prices for meat at the supermarket. The average expense is 60 francs a month each, not counting dinners at the restaurant. A fact that animal and environmental associations do not like.

When asked “how much would you be willing to spend more, for the sake of the climate”, 39 percent replied “nothing”. 19 per cent, a maximum of 6 francs more per month. “It is a stumbling block we have faced for years in promoting animal welfare,” comments Heinz Lienhard, president of Swiss Animal Welfare. “It is not easy to convince people to make a financial contribution to sustainability”. The most common strategy for now is to report the environmental impact of meat through labels: some wholesalers, for example, have introduced a “traffic light” system where green represents an eco-sustainable product and red an unsafe origin.

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“Many people say they eat little meat and rely only on virtuous supply chains, but this is often a false impression,” continues Lienhard. 83 million animals are slaughtered in Switzerland every year, not counting imports: “Someone has to eat all this meat.” The demand for environmentally and animal-friendly meat, on the other hand, is not increasing.

However, the numbers tend to be decreasing. In 1980, the per capita consumption of meat in Switzerland was 64.4 kilograms per year, over the past 30 years it has steadily fallen to the current average of 47.8 kilograms. But meat prices remain too low according to animal rights activists. “Standard meat is offered at dumped prices,” emphasizes national councilor Meret Schneider. “If we’re not ready to pay more for sustainable meat, then we’ll pay the bill later.”

The percentage of vegans in Switzerland and Liechtenstein has doubled in one year. In 2020, people who do not consume products of animal origin represented 0.3% of the population, this year the proportion has risen to 0.6%. The share of non-meat eaters also increased from 3.4 to 4.1%.

In total, there are therefore around 38,000 vegans and over 250,000 vegetarians. It is especially young people and university graduates who have chosen not to consume meat or animal products, the Swissveg association announced today on the basis of the Mach consumer study.

The percentage of vegetarians among young people between the ages of 14 and 34 is 6.2%, compared with 4.9% last year. Among the over 55s, only 2.7% eliminated meat (2020: 2.2%). Vegans in the 14-34 age group are now 1.2%, three times the previous year. Among those over 55, the percentage is 0.2%, double compared to 2020.

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