Study reveals that Portugal already has more than one million vegetables
AN second edition of the study ‘The Green Revolution’, by Lantern (strategy and innovation consultant, specialist in the food sector), reveals that in two years the vegetarian community in Portugal has grown by 33% – encompassing vegans, vegetarians and flexitarians.
A statement sent to newsrooms highlights the number of adults who follow an imminently vegetable diet in Portugal is already “over one million people”. An analysis based on “more than a thousand identify” indicates “sustained growth of new food diets”.
Recalling the first edition of the study, in 2019, Lanterna concluded that “almost 9% of the Portuguese population was vegetarian”. This year, the number has soared and “has reached nearly 250,000 new veggies, a 33 percent increase.” Thus, “11.9% of the population is already a vegetarian”.
It is also known that “9.3% of Portuguese consider themselves flexitarians” (following a less rigid diet that allows occasional consumption of meat and fish), “27% more than two years ago”. This information reveals that “a total of 800,000 people follow this diet”.
In relation to vegans (which completely exclude any product of animal origin) and vegetarians (who do not include meat or fish in their diet, but accept their derivatives), “the sum of these two food classes grew 57% compared to 2019”.
The study explains that “there are a total of 180,000 vegetarians, which means 2.1% of the adult population”, a result that translates into a “growth of 137% compared to the previous edition”. However, “0.5% of Portuguese adults consider themselves vegans”, 0.2% less than in 2019, translating into “40 thousand people”.
“Vegetable growth is a clear trend, but it is not yet supported by consumption data. There has been no drop in red meat sales yet”, says David Lacasa, partner at Lanterna.
“If we analyze data from INE on the evolution, since 2010, of human consumption of red meat, we see how since 2013 the total volume of tons has grown by 7%, but is still 3% below 2010 data. 2020 consumption fell by 5% to 662 tonnes, data closely related to the impact of the pandemic on consumption outside the home”, he adds.
The vegetarian consumer profile
With regard to gender, “a vegetarian trend has grown, especially among women. One in seven women is vegetarian, which means 13.7% of the female population, a number that grows compared to 2019 where they were one in eight”.
Among men, “only one in 10 belongs to the veggie class (9.9%). Looking at a combination of vegans and vegetarians, the predominance is also female: the weight in women is 3.1% vs. 2.0% in men”.
Regarding age, the vegetarian community extends across all age groups, with a minimum presence of 10% in each group. In detail, the highest penetration concerns any age group between 18 and 34 years old. However, the 25 to 34 year-old segment leads the penetration per target, with 16.8%, up from 11.3% in 2019. In the case of younger people, aged 18 to 24, 12.8% of them are vegetables. prominent in the vegetarian/vegan group, reaching 6%, the highest figure in the age groups”.
It is also known that, “geographically, the division is equitable: 49% in cities with less than 100,000 inhabitants and 51% in the largest. However, the greatest growth of vegetables compared to 2019 is concentrated in cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants inhabitants, with 52.6% more vegetables (51% in 2021 against 33% in 2019). In cities with less than 100,000 inhabitants, the phenomenon dropped by 26.2% (from 67% to 49%)”.
as motivations
Compared to the study presented in 2019, the motivations of vegan consumers remain unchanged, with “health being the most cited by flexitarians, with 68% mentioning it this year compared to 73% in 2019”.
Then there is the “concern for animals which, among flexitarians, is the second most important reason to adopt a vegetarian diet, but it has gone down four percentage points in two years, from 34% in 2019 to 30% in 2021”. In the case of vegetarians and vegans, this “is also a second reason to adopt this type of diet, with 69%”.
Finally, “sustainability is another motivation that continues to be relevant, among flexitarians, to adopt a vegetarian diet, but which dropped significantly in this edition – minus 18 percentage points. Concern for the environment now represents 29% in flexitarians’ motivations to change their diet this year, compared to 2019, which was 47%.”
To view the full study, click on here.
Also Read: Sweet Potato Stuffed with Black Beans for a Vegetarian Dinner