According to a representative survey, around twelve percent of people in Germany now eat a vegetarian or vegan diet. Women and those under 30 are particularly well represented.
Plant-based nutrition is finding more and more followers. According to a representative Forsa survey, around twelve percent of people in Germany now refrain from consuming meat.
Nine percent of the population eat a vegetarian diet and three percent are vegan, according to the survey. It was published by the Federal Association of the German Food Trade (BVLH) on the occasion of the ANUGA nutrition trade fair starting on October 7th in Cologne. Another 41 percent of those surveyed then described themselves as flexitarians, meaning they only eat meat occasionally.
Avoiding meat consumption is particularly pronounced among women and those under 30 years of age. At twelve percent, the proportion of women who eat a vegetarian diet is twice as high as that of men. The proportion among younger respondents is also significantly disproportionate. 15 percent of those under 30 described themselves as vegetarians. Among respondents aged 60 and over it was only six percent.
Environmental protection, animal welfare and health
According to the survey, the most important reasons for buying more plant-based products are environmental protection, animal welfare and your own health. 72 percent of those surveyed rated the range of plant-based products in German grocery stores as sufficient or just right. Around 43 percent say they would buy more plant-based foods if they were offered at a cheaper price.
However, in the eyes of many consumers, a problem is that vegan substitute products sometimes contain more sugar, fat and salt than the animal foods they are intended to replace because of their taste. For two thirds of those surveyed, this would be a reason not to buy such products.
The survey on the topic of “plant-based nutrition” was carried out by the Forsa Institute from August 10th to 14th. A total of 1,026 people aged 18 and over were randomly selected.