Plant-based meat and milk alternatives are becoming increasingly popular in Germany, while meat consumption has hit its lowest level since records began. According to data from the Federal Agency for Agriculture and Nutrition (BLE), German consumers ate an average of 52 kilograms of meat products in 2022, 4.2 kilograms less than the previous year and the lowest level since records began in 1989. The biggest decline was in pork (-2.8 kg), beef and veal (-0.9 kg), and poultry (-0.4 kg). The BLE believes that the decline is mainly due to the popularity of plant-based alternatives.
A study by the Good Food Institute Europe (GFI) confirms this trend, showing that the turnover for plant-based meat and milk alternatives grew by 11% to €1.91 billion in 2022. Sales of meat alternatives alone increased by 7% to €643 million. The study also found that the number of products sold in this category increased by 41% between 2020 and 2022, while sales of pre-packaged meat from animal farming declined by 13%. The highest growth in turnover was seen in plant-based seafood, cream, desserts, and ready meals. Sales of plant-based milk alternatives, such as oat, almond, and soy milk, reached €552 million in 2022, an increase of 13%. The market for plant-based milk products has grown by 48% since 2020, while the market for cow’s milk has shrunk by 12%.
The study shows that meat and milk substitutes are the dominant categories in the plant-based substitute market. The study also highlights that price increases for plant-based products have been much lower than inflation, with the cost of meat and cow’s milk increasing significantly more. Germany is the largest market for plant-based food in Europe, with sales almost double those of the UK, the country with the second-largest market share. The GFI reports that no other Western European country saw a stronger increase in turnover for plant-based products than Germany in 2022, with sales growing by 6% on average across Europe.
