Review: Trends for meat, milk and egg consumption for the next decades and the role played by livestock systems in the global production of proteins

Summary

This review synthesises trends in global consumption of animal-sourced foods since 2000 and projects future demand under three contrasting scenarios to 2050, disaggregated by WHO region. The authors document marked regional disparities, with Europe showing the highest animal-protein consumption (ratio 1.08 in 2017) and Africa the lowest (0.29), and demonstrate that sustainable policy pathways (Towards Sustainability scenario) could reverse consumption growth in high-income regions whilst accommodating rising demand in low- and middle-income countries. The work informs strategic planning for sustainable livestock production systems in an era of competing resource constraints and equity considerations.

Regional applicability

As a high-income European country, the UK's current consumption patterns align with the European region profile (highest animal-sourced food consumption globally). The study suggests that the UK, under a Towards Sustainability scenario, could achieve notable declines in animal-sourced protein consumption relative to Business As Usual baseline, relevant to UK policy on sustainable food systems and Defra's food strategy objectives.

Key measures

Consumption trends of animal-sourced foods (meat, milk, eggs) by region; ratio of animal to plant-sourced protein per capita; projected demand under three FAO scenarios (BAU, SS, TS) to 2050

Outcomes reported

The study projected future demand for meat, milk and eggs across five WHO regions under three FAO scenarios (Business As Usual, Stratified Societies, and Towards Sustainability) to 2050, based on historical consumption patterns (2000–2017) and national protein demand projections. It documented regional variation in the ratio of animal to plant-sourced protein consumption and identified differential trajectories under sustainable versus baseline policy scenarios.

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