More green in our plates

Nowadays not many baristas would be taken aback if you ask them for plant-based milk in your coffee instead of regular. Similarly, you don’t have to explain yourself to others when calling yourself a flexitarian. They know what it means. Maybe, like so many others, you also made the New Year’s resolution of reducing your meat intake. It seems that there is a “plant-based boom” happening right now. How can we explain it? How does it translate into our daily habits? Are we witnessing a true paradigm shift in our agri-food system?

A growing interest in plant-based products

More and more people are looking into plant-based nutrition. In the past couple of years, the plant-based agrifood market has rapidly expanded. Between 2018 and 2020, there has been a total growth of 49% of plant-based food sales in Europe, for a turnover of 3.6 billion euros in 2020. According to projections for 2020, the vegetable protein market should reach €16 billion by 2025.

Simultaneously, one can also note a decrease in meat consumption in certain European countries between 2000 and 2018, despite the European mean of annual meat consumption remaining the same at 77 kg. Indeed, the situation varies depending on the area. While important decreases should be noted in Belgium (-33%), Slovenia (-25%), and France (-21%) during the given period, some Eastern European countries have, on the contrary, increased their meat consumption: Croatia (+124%), Latvia (+90%) and Lithuania (+70%). This increase could be explained by the middle class getting wealthier in said countries. The correlation between the rise of the population’s purchasing power and their consumption of meat can be verified on a larger geographical scale and historically as well. Developing countries such as China or India, with an ever-growing middle class, are experiencing significant increases in meat consumption. And, during the period of abundance following the Second World War, Western European countries also experienced a similar phenomenon.

Although these numbers should be treated with caution, they seem to point towards a certain shift in Western countries: less meat, more plants. Another good indicator of this shift is the rise in the number of people selfidentifying as flexitarians, vegetarians, or vegans. In Germany, 8.5 million people – which equals 10% of the population – identify as vegetarian: the highest number in Europe. But the European country with the highest proportion of vegans is Poland, with 7% of the population considering themselves vegan. In France, 24% of the population refer to themselves as flexitarians.

Across the pond, the same tendencies can be observed. In the States, between 2004 and 2019 the number of vegetarians multiplied by thirty to reach nearly ten million in 2019. So how can we explain the plant-based boom seen in many Western countries in recent years?

A multifactorial phenomenon

COVID-19 has without a doubt been a catalyst in the increase of plant-based diets, as it has shed light on the meat industry’s shady practices, especially in China, creating a certain reluctance towards its consumption. The global pandemic came on top of past collective traumas such as the multiple crises of mad cow disease and scrapie in sheep, epizootics, and potential transmissions to humans – zoonoses – and has left an indelible mark on people's minds. This explains why 2020 was such a turning point for the plant-based meat industry. In six months, the sector attracted double the investments compared to the previous year. Lockdown was the perfect opportunity to reflect on consumer habits and implement new ones.

However, interest in plant-based diets is not completely new. The 70s already witnessed an emerging, albeit minor, plant-based diet movement in counterreaction to the industrialized postwar food system that could be observed in the States. Indeed, after the Second World War, the food system went through profound changes in Western European countries and North America. Supermarkets became commonplace during the 60s and we rapidly entered an overconsumption era characterised by the abundance and accessibility of products as well as a cuisine centered around meat.

As mentioned above, overconsumption and our failed food system rose criticism already in the 70s. Published in 1971, the book of American Francis Moore Lappé “Diet for a Small Planet” is considered the first catalyst of the contemporary secular vegetarian movement. The bestseller came out at a time when Americans (especially the younger generation) in need of ideals, seemed particularly receptive to new points of view and it offered them just that. Lappé presented the vegetarian diet as a concrete solution to end world hunger. Shortly after this, another huge classic. Australian philosopher Peter Singer published “Animal Liberation” in 1975 which is widely recognised as the foundational text of the animal rights movement. In it, Singer develops the concept that speciesism, considering us as humans superior to other species, is from a moral perspective just as unjustified as racism is.

Other more minor cultural movements that have also contributed to the rise of plant-based cuisine, are ecofeminism and the punks. According to ecofeminists, the way we treat animals is just an extension of the way our society treats women. For punks, rejecting meat consumption goes hand in hand with rejecting all other kinds of hierarchical or economic dominance. 

Today, being vegetarian or flexitarian stems much less from a social critique and seems to be motivated by more pragmatic reasons and a sense of urgency. Across different surveys and studies, one can observe a variety of reasons that push consumers toward a plant-based diet. 

In 2021, a big survey (ProVeg, 2021) conducted in ten European countries (Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, and the UK) revealed that 51% of omnivores are actively trying to reduce their meat consumption. Among all the reasons given, health was the main one (47%), especially in Romania and Italy. Environmental preoccupation (29%) was the second biggest reason, observed in particular in Denmark and the Netherlands, followed closely by the third main reason, animal ethics (26%), ranking especially high in Germany and again, the Netherlands.

An IFOP (2021) survey, conducted on the French population only, distinguishes people who exclude meat by choice and those who do it out of necessity. Indeed, the latter group of people represents 24% of the surveyed sample which limits or excludes completely meat from their diet which represents arguably quite a significant share. The study underlines that the group who limit their meat intake out of necessity are mostly composed of single mothers in difficult financial situations. The pandemic and the war in Ukraine, each contributing to the inflationist crisis, have certainly not helped these people.

Who are the plant-based aficionados?

Despite the diversity of reasons to move towards a more plant-based diet or completely cut out meat, it seems that it is the highly educated young women who are most susceptible to becoming vegetarian. In industrialised countries, such as the States, Canada, the UK, and Australia, there are two vegetarian women for one vegetarian man ratio. From a sociological perspective, this gap could be explained by gender norms in which women are expected to be more caring and maternal towards their environment while men are supposed to enjoy eating meat as it is seen as manly to do so (Germov & Williams, 2017).

There seems to be a higher diversity among flexitarians, however. A higher generational diversity, at least, is based on the sample of the survey cited above (ProVeg, 2021). Among those who identified as flexitarian, 29% were Boomers, 27% were Gen X, 28% were Millenials and 26% were Gen Z.

Is plant-based better?

At a time when more and more experts are calling for us to reduce our meat consumption, many people see plantbased food as our main option for tackling the environmental emergency. According to a report published in 2018 by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), "a major change in lifestyle, including the adoption of a diet that is much lower in animal products" is necessary if we want to limit the increase of global temperature to 1.5°C. 

The environmental findings are, in effect, indisputable, given that the current agri-food system represents 30% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, half of which come from livestock. Moreover, 70% of cultivated land is dedicated to farm animals despite accounting for only 18% of our consumed calories. And let’s not forget about how water-hungry the meat industry is, compared to vegetables and fruits. According to hydrologist Charlène Descollonges’ book published this year, “L’eau, fake or not”, 37% of our water footprint (including virtual water) is directly linked to a meat- based diet. She believes that switching to a nonmeat-based diet would reduce our water footprint by 50%.

Especially the cattle industry (meat and dairy) is the main culprit. It is responsible, according to the IPCC, for 2/3 of greenhouse gases produced by livestock farming (due to methane emissions). In terms of water needs, it is almost three times more demanding than pork meat. The Waterfootprint method - a somewhat controversial estimation but still often used as a reference point - counts on average 15.000L water for 1kg of beef. Yet, in Luxembourg we consume a particularily high amount of beef: it represents 30% of our total meat consumption.

In terms of health, it is known that red meat in excessive amounts is harmful. The IARC (International Agency for Cancer Research) part of the WHO (World Health Organization) has declared that processed meat (cold cuts...) is carcinogenic from 50g/day or more, while the daily meat consumption of the average European is around 221gr (European datalab, 2021). Even among physicians who consider that an omnivore diet is more suitable than a vegetarian one, the weekly needs of meat are estimated to be around 400-500 gr, which is equivalent to two slices of steak and largely below the European mean. According to a 2020 report by the WHO, 4 million deaths were due to a diet too rich in red and processed meat in the world that year.

Towards a healthier nutrition?

Beyond all the negatives of a diet too rich in meat, what are the benefits of a more plant-based one? Plants are essential, mainly because of their polyphenols (compounds of organic molecules), which help to prevent a whole range of inflammations. To date, over 500 polyphenols have been identified, and divided into different categories, the most widely known of which are tannins and flavonoids. A diet rich in polyphenols (grapes, broccoli, red fruit, among others) helps combat cardiovascular disease, reduces the risk of diabetes and cancer, and generally protects against oxidation (i.e. excessive cell death).

Nonetheless, it should be noted that most conventional fruits and vegetables sold in supermarkets contain residues of pesticides and endocrine disruptors, which is an argument to, whenever possible, favor an organic, local, and seasonal diet.

What's more, eating less meat does not necessarily mean eating more fruit and vegetables! On the contrary, many vegetarians, especially young people, resort to industrial plant-based substitutes. But these aren't necessarily a healthier option than meat. Most of them are ultra-processed products that are highly enriched in sugar, salt, and fat according to the NOVA score (a four-group classification that highlights the degree of food processing). Excess consumption of ultra-processed foods is correlated with risks of overweight, obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer, or type 2 diabetes... in short, all the diseases that are supposed to be avoided by a more plant-based diet, rich in polyphenols. According to a study by Gehring (2021), the proportion of energy intake coming from ultra-processed foods increases by the degree of exclusion of foods of animal origin: meat eaters (33%), vegetarians (37%) and vegans (39.5%). The truth is that, with the plant-based boom, these industrial products with their green packaging are wrapped in a 'healthy' halo that consumers find hard to resist. So, beware: not all vegetarian diets are created equal...

Substitution cuisine

Ultra-processed plant-based options are attractive because of their price (a vegetarian steak costs much less than a real one) but also their taste. In France, according to a study conducted by Ifop in 2021, people have a hard time cutting out meat from their diet mainly because of the pleasure that they derive from it. But these plant-based meats can recreate a similar level of pleasure and make it much easier to skip meat. Being able to enjoy almost the same menu as the other people with whom one is eating is another reason to opt for a plant-based product. One can say that in the end with these products, the dish composition doesn’t seem to change. The omnivore diet remains the reference point: we build the meal around the (plant-based) meat. It's simple, tasty and affordable! That's the credo of the American start-up Beyond Meat, which produces plant-based meat and has the financial backing of celebrities such as Bill Gates and Leonardo Dicaprio, among others: "Our mission is to create delicious, nutritious, sustainable protein so that you can eat what you love, no sacrifice required".

Many nutrition experts and vegetarian enthusiasts are critical of an alternative plant-based cuisine that merely mimics the omnivorous diet. Irène Margaritis, Professor of Physiology and Deputy Director of Risk Assessment at the French National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES), explains: "Vegetarianism is not just about excluding a food or food category. It's about reorganizing and rethinking the whole diet. So, it's quite demanding, both nutritionally and in terms of taste".

Rediscovering the true potential of a plant-based diet

According to American food- journalist Alicia Kennedy, rediscovering what a plant-based diet is about means going back to the roots of vegetarian cuisine. In her book “No Meat Required: the Cultural History and Culinary History and Culinary Future of Plant-Based Eating (Beacon Press, 2023)” published this August, she posits that there is a need to remember the historical context in which secular plant-based diets emerged at the end of the 20th Century (especially in the States). She regrets that in the last couple of years, public discourse around plant- based cuisine has shifted more and more into the hands of big agro-food companies.

The current plant-based market seems, according to her, to mimic the failing meat market system as it presents the same issues: land use, energy consumption, labor rights, the presence of oligopolies, etc.

Admittedly in the long term, a true food revolution will require us to completely reassess our current economic model, however, the shift by the food giants and their massive investment in plantbased products are now decisive for the transition. Indeed, more and more people must gain access to affordable plant-based options so that these habits become more commonly shared, and we collectively reduce our meat consumption. Major multinationals such as Nestlé and Danone have understood this and have invested heavily in the plant-based market. In 2020, 40% of the giants in the agri-food sector already had dedicated plant protein teams. At Nestlé, 10% of all R&D employees are dedicated solely to developing plant-based products. In 2021, Danone announced a €43 million investment in its Villecomtal-sur-Arros site, in the Gers (region of France), which was previously dedicated to ultra-fresh dairy
products but now produces plant-based milks only. Multinational Dutch-British company Unilever, meanwhile, has built a 94-million-dollar innovation centre in the Netherlands.

Beyond consuming these substitutes, however, a true cultural shift needs to happen to fix the current poverty of plant-based cuisine. Indeed, since the eighties when agriculture became more and more intensive, we favor a limited number of cereals, vegetables, and fruits at the expense of other kinds. According to the FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization) among the 6000 plants that we historically cultivated to produce food, less than 200 make up the global world food production in 2019. Moreover, nine among them (sugar cane, maize, rice, wheat, potatoes, soya, oil palm, sugar beet, and manioc) represent more than 66% of the total crop production.

But we can go beyond this logic of substitution and to enrich our plates with new flavors already today. Next time you go grocery shopping, instead of choosing rice or wheat, how about trying some millet, buckwheat, or sorghum to switch it up a bit. Rediscovering the full scope of a plant-based diet means appreciating local and seasonal vegetables in all its glory. It also means unlearning some of our habits and to not take the year-round availability of a multitude of vegetables, many of which have no taste anymore (bland, waterlogged tomatoes seem to become merely decorative objects in our dishes!), for granted. Plant-based cuisine can be varied, healthy, and satisfying (see our interview with chef René Mathieu), but all you need is a little motivation to discover new ingredients, techniques, and flavor combinations! A way of rephrasing the resolutions that you made in the beginning of this new year, perhaps?