A recent study by Coop on plant-based nutrition in Switzerland found that 63% of the Swiss population is actively reducing their meat consumption, vegan burgers have seen a strong growth of 252% and sales of vegetarian meat alternatives have increased by over 350%. For the last three years.
Switzerland’s third ‘Plant Based Food Report’, compiled by Coop in association with LINK, provides comprehensive information and statistics on vegetarian nutrition, shows trends over the past few years and looks to the future. Key points of the study are as follows.
Plant-based demand in Switzerland
- The range of meat alternatives on offer in the Swiss market is generally very diverse, the study found.
- Vegan burgers continue to account for one Fifth of total burgers Sale at the Coop.
- All types of meat alternatives are in high demand from 2019. Meat alternative burgers have proven strong 252% increase Vegan meat alternatives have seen an incredible rise over the last three years An increase of over 350%.
- Meanwhile, sales of animal meat burgers and sausage alternatives are expected to decline slightly in 2022
- Currently, the schnitzel option is the most in demand with sales of 17.7 million Swiss francs.
- Every seventh milk in the shopping basket at the Coop is a vegetarian option.
- However, cumulative turnover of vegan cheese, milk and yogurt alternatives stood at 126.7 million; This represents a very small market share, as it currently corresponds to around 6% of the total market in this area.
Key points regarding Swiss demographics
- The number of flexible people in the country is constantly increasing: 63% of the Swiss population Now consciously avoid animal-based foods a few times a month. In 2012, only 40% of Swiss consumers regularly gave up meat.
- A A quarter of the respondents Eat vegetarian meals a few times a month
- 40% of respondents want to eat more vegetarian food in the next five years
- Another 27% enjoy plant-based alternatives to meat, fish, milk and cheese “from time to time”.
- 54% of the Swiss population have already tried vegetarian options.
- 48% of the Swiss population Have been eating vegan options for at least four years.
- Vegan options are particularly popular among young women in urban areas of German-speaking Switzerland.
The authors of the study say: “So this is not a short-lived trend, but a sustainable change in diet.”
Similarly, in July 2022, forecasters from Switzerland’s Gottlieb Datweiler Institute (GDI) said that the Swiss population should eat a completely meat-free diet by 2050, saying: “We will have no choice but to switch to alternative proteins,” said Christine Schäfer from the organization. , which is holding a food innovation conference on food fermentation today. A GDI working paper adds, “Conventionally produced meat will one day be to our grandchildren what the audio cassette is to us today: a relic out of time.”
Coop Market Research, in collaboration with LINK, conducted the survey from 1 to 20 September 2022.
2,222 people aged 15 to 79 were interviewed in German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino. The target group was randomly selected from the LINK Internet Panel and is representative, report the authors.