The popularity of meat substitutes has been soaring in the last few years. Meat alternatives are hailed as healthier and more eco-conscious choices. These include vegan burgers (patties), vegan sausages, vegan bacon, vegan chicken, which typically use proteins from soybeans or peas. Other alternatives include high-protein plant products like tofu, tempeh and seitan.
In the US, Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat are both pioneers in mimicking meat at the molecular level using plant-based proteins and nutrients. Europe has many companies of its own.
Many countries have seen sales increasing by 50% or more every year for the last 4 or 5 years. For instance, the growth of sales for plant-based substitutes between 2019 and 2020 was +48% in Spain, +50% in the Netherlands, +56% in Romania, +57% in Austria, +62% in Poland, +73% in the UK, and +97% in Germany.
I have calculated the plant-based meat alternatives sales per capita by country using data from the Smart Protein Project's report for some EU countries. I found data for the US and Switzerland elsewhere. The statistics should be adjusted for the cost of life in each country as it is based on the value of sales and prices are considerably higher in Switzerland than in Poland or Romania.
[TABLE=collapse]
[TR]
[TD]Country[/TD]
[TD]2020 sales (in millions)[/TD]
[TD]Population (in m.)[/TD]
[TD]Sales per capita[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Netherlands[/TD]
[TD]291[/TD]
[TD]17.5[/TD]
[TD]16.6[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Switzerland[/TD]
[TD]117[/TD]
[TD]8.6[/TD]
[TD]13.6[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Belgium[/TD]
[TD]134[/TD]
[TD]11.6[/TD]
[TD]11.6[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]UK[/TD]
[TD]750[/TD]
[TD]67.3[/TD]
[TD]11.1[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Germany[/TD]
[TD]817[/TD]
[TD]83.2[/TD]
[TD]9.8[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Spain[/TD]
[TD]448[/TD]
[TD]47.4[/TD]
[TD]9.5[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Austria[/TD]
[TD]82[/TD]
[TD]8.9[/TD]
[TD]9.2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]France[/TD]
[TD]355[/TD]
[TD]67.7[/TD]
[TD]5.2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Denmark[/TD]
[TD]30[/TD]
[TD]5.8[/TD]
[TD]5.2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]USA[/TD]
[TD]1250[/TD]
[TD]330[/TD]
[TD]3.8[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Italy[/TD]
[TD]73[/TD]
[TD]59.1[/TD]
[TD]1.2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Poland[/TD]
[TD]43[/TD]
[TD]37.7[/TD]
[TD]1.1[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Romania[/TD]
[TD]21[/TD]
[TD]19.1[/TD]
[TD]1.1[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
In the US, Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat are both pioneers in mimicking meat at the molecular level using plant-based proteins and nutrients. Europe has many companies of its own.
Many countries have seen sales increasing by 50% or more every year for the last 4 or 5 years. For instance, the growth of sales for plant-based substitutes between 2019 and 2020 was +48% in Spain, +50% in the Netherlands, +56% in Romania, +57% in Austria, +62% in Poland, +73% in the UK, and +97% in Germany.
I have calculated the plant-based meat alternatives sales per capita by country using data from the Smart Protein Project's report for some EU countries. I found data for the US and Switzerland elsewhere. The statistics should be adjusted for the cost of life in each country as it is based on the value of sales and prices are considerably higher in Switzerland than in Poland or Romania.
[TABLE=collapse]
[TR]
[TD]Country[/TD]
[TD]2020 sales (in millions)[/TD]
[TD]Population (in m.)[/TD]
[TD]Sales per capita[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Netherlands[/TD]
[TD]291[/TD]
[TD]17.5[/TD]
[TD]16.6[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Switzerland[/TD]
[TD]117[/TD]
[TD]8.6[/TD]
[TD]13.6[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Belgium[/TD]
[TD]134[/TD]
[TD]11.6[/TD]
[TD]11.6[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]UK[/TD]
[TD]750[/TD]
[TD]67.3[/TD]
[TD]11.1[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Germany[/TD]
[TD]817[/TD]
[TD]83.2[/TD]
[TD]9.8[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Spain[/TD]
[TD]448[/TD]
[TD]47.4[/TD]
[TD]9.5[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Austria[/TD]
[TD]82[/TD]
[TD]8.9[/TD]
[TD]9.2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]France[/TD]
[TD]355[/TD]
[TD]67.7[/TD]
[TD]5.2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Denmark[/TD]
[TD]30[/TD]
[TD]5.8[/TD]
[TD]5.2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]USA[/TD]
[TD]1250[/TD]
[TD]330[/TD]
[TD]3.8[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Italy[/TD]
[TD]73[/TD]
[TD]59.1[/TD]
[TD]1.2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Poland[/TD]
[TD]43[/TD]
[TD]37.7[/TD]
[TD]1.1[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Romania[/TD]
[TD]21[/TD]
[TD]19.1[/TD]
[TD]1.1[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]