Austrians have already consumed the recommended annual meat ration by April

This Thursday (April 10), people in Austria will have already eaten the entire recommended annual amount of meat. The animal welfare organization Four Paws drew attention to this on Tuesday. In the German-speaking region, this means the top spot: Germany consumes nearly 52 kilograms of meat per person per year, Switzerland nearly 46 kilograms, whereas in Austria, according to 2023 data, even 57.6 kilograms are consumed.

Austrians consume the equivalent of more than seven schnitzels per week

The EAT-Lancet Commission, an association of international scientists, recommends a maximum annual consumption of 15.7 kilograms. Based on this, "Mr. and Mrs. Austrian" will reach the recommended annual amount, the "Meat Exhaustion Day," according to calculations by Four Paws, with this Thursday. On a weekly basis, people here consume more than 1.1 kilograms of meat per person - which would be more than seven schnitzels.

Recently, meat consumption has slightly decreased - in 2022 it was 58.6 kilograms. If the reduction continues at this slow pace, the recommended amount of 15.7 kilograms will only be reached in 88 years, namely in 2113, according to the NGO. "We are consuming almost twice as much meat as the global average, which is only 33.8 kilograms," criticized campaign leader Veronika Weissenböck, who pointed to animal suffering due to mass production, resource waste, high CO2 emissions, and the deforestation of the rainforest for animal feed. Additionally, one's own health "suffers massively from these meat excesses."

106 million animals are slaughtered annually in Austria

Every year, on average, more than 106 million animals are slaughtered in Austria for human consumption. One of the reasons for the high consumption, according to animal rights activists, is discounts on meat products. Since 2005, the share of promotions in supermarkets has doubled, with almost 50 percent of meat being purchased at a discount. Four Paws calls for a stop to discount promotions as well as transparent labeling of animal products according to farming methods and origin in retail and gastronomy.

(APA/Red)

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