causes of the global decline in meat consumption

Why is there a global trend towards consuming less meat? “Veganism” is a term that refers to the practice of eating only plant-based foods. Over the last few years, more and more people are opting for a vegan lifestyle, resulting in a worldwide decline in meat consumption. There are three main reasons for the global decline in meat consumption: the effect of influential individuals on a certain type of people, religious beliefs and moral beliefs. Firstly, the global decline in meat consumption can be partly explained by celebrities’ influence. In the past few years, a lot of celebrities have gone vegan, and many of them advertised their new meat free lifestyle one way or another. For example, many vegan celebrities posted about the diet they are following on different social media platforms and many talked about it in talk shows. Seeing those celebrities as role models, fans are likely to have been influenced by the statements made by the celebrities about their food choices, that is – fans were more inclined to adopt a meat free diet just because their favorite celebrity is following it. Even though celebrities influence is a major cause of the global decline in meat consumption, it is not the only one. Another factor that contributes to the global decline in meat consumption is religion. Despite how easy it is to overlook its role in the global decline in meat consumption, religion might be the most important cause of the issue. Many religions, such as Islam and Hinduism, forbid the consumption of certain types of meat, and those religions have been gaining more followers over the past few years due to their followers actively trying to spread them in a number of ways. Muslims, for example, have built cultural centers that allow people to know more about Islam, causing an increase in the number of Muslims worldwide. Finally, certain moral beliefs that some people hold might explain the global decline in meat consumption. Since moral beliefs can undoubtedly influence peoples’ food choices, it is logical to think that moral beliefs play a role in the global decline in meat consumption. Today, many people around the world perceive killing animals to consume meat as inhumane and cruel. Even though this moral concept wasn’t popular in the past, it has become more popular over the last few years due to social media which made it easier for people who hold this moral belief to spread it. For example, some vegans posted videos of animals getting brutally slaughtered on different social media platforms, using sympathy to deter people from consuming meat. To recapitulate, celebrities, religion and moral views are all causes of the decline in meat consumption. Even though it might not be seen as a pressing issue, the global decline in meat consumption has a huge negative impact on the meat industry in the whole world. If the issue is not dealt with, the meat industry will have to face the repercussions of the global decline in meat consumption.