Curbing global meat consumption: Emerging evidence of a second nutrition transition

Meat consumption patterns worldwide have dramatically changed over the past 50 years, putting pressure on the environment and leading- especially in industrialised and emerging countries - to unbalanced diets. Given demographic projections and foresight reports, the question is raised whether there are limits to the meat consumption. Based on data from 120 countries, this article analyses the evolution of meat consumption in general and the relationship between meat consumption and income in particular. The study shows evidence for an inverted U-shaped relationship between meat consumption and income, meaning that - at a certain level of income - average meat consumption will stagnate or even decline. The results can help policy makers to develop incentives for both environmental and health policies and offers stakeholders opportunities for further research and innovation. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.