Meat consumption has long been under pressure. Let’s see what trends were recorded in 2021 in a few European countries. Of course, there are several differences between 2021 and 2020, including fewer months of closures and restaurant closures due to Covid-19 in 2021. As hospitality was open for more of 2021, we would expect to see a decline retail volumes.
France
In France, demand has seen near-universal declines in volume and value across the different meat categories. Fresh sheepmeat is an exception with weak growth in value, driven by a sharp rise in prices which compensates for the fall in volumes. Fresh pork and sausages saw the biggest declines.
Germany
In contrast to the start of the calendar year, the total annual data for Germany shows sharp declines in the volume of meat purchased by households.
Spain
Total meat consumption in Spain in the 12 months ending November 2021 mirrors the above trends recorded in France and Germany, registering an 8.4% drop in volumes.
Italy
In Italy, the data shows some contraction in the value of the beef market, but a significant contraction for many pork products. Compared to the pre-pandemic period, the value of these retail meat products is inflated.
The hospitality sector in Europe was optimistic that it could perform well in the second half of 2021, and it looks like it may have, helping to offset some of these declines seen at the retail level. . Going forward, European consumers, just like those in the UK, may see their purchasing power reduced due to rising inflation rates on the continent.
