More and more people in Switzerland are pursuing low-meat eating habits, a new study from the University of St. Gallen has revealed. While the vegan and vegetarian population has remained relatively stable, the number of flexitarians has risen by 45 percent in two years.

Number of flexitarians in Switzerland rises by 45 percent

According to the survey, the number of people who eat meat with no restrictions whatsoever has fallen from 71 percent of households in 2022 to 64 percent in 2024. However, with the number of vegetarian households only rising from 7,8 to 8,1 percent during the same period, and the number of vegan homes declining from 0,5 to 0,3 percent, more and more people are making an effort to reduce, but not forswear, meat.

In 2022, around 18 percent of households said they followed a “flexitarian diet” - defined by the university as consuming no more than 300 grams of meat and 200 grams of fish and seafood a week per person. As of 2024, 27 percent of households reported that they follow the lifestyle, an increase of 45 percent.

Though the St. Gallen study did not go into why households are making the change, a 2024 study from Swiss supermarket Coop found that 53 percent of flexitarians, vegans and vegetarians move away from meat for environmental reasons. With Switzerland experiencing three years of record average temperatures, and livestock agriculture accounting for 13 percent of local greenhouse emissions as of 2020, these concerns are only set to grow. In addition, 49 percent said that their health was a key reason to swap, while 46 percent cited animal welfare.

Meat-free alternative foods struggle to fly off supermarket shelves

While meat consumption is declining, there are signs that it is not being replaced with meat-free or plant-based alternatives. The St. Gallen study noted that dairy consumption in Switzerland has remained stable since 2022, and consumption of plant-based milk and yoghurt has been stuck at a low level.

The Coop study added that while the popularity of meat-substitute products boomed between 2018 and 2023, many items have seen their sales stagnate in the last year. As to why consumers are not replacing meat with alternatives, a 2020 survey from ETH Zurich found that most are concerned by their high prices and how processed they are.

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