Study Finds 6.4 Million Canadians Consciously Limit Their Meat Consumption

Younger Canadians are more likely to think about the death and suffering of animals when they eat meat, according to a study by Dalhousie University in Halifax and the University of Guelph in Ontario. The study estimates that 63% of Canadian vegans are under 38 years old.

According to CTV News, researchers from both universities surveyed more than 1,000 Canadians about their eating habits. According to the findings, the study estimates that at least 6.4 million Canadians already limit the amount of meat they eat and that even more are interested in doing so.

Additional data show that 48.5% of respondents are daily meat eaters and 40% say they eat meat once or twice a week. More than half (55%) said they were interested in reducing meat consumption and 51% were either willing or extremely willing to do so. Thirty-two per cent added that they did intend to reduce their meat consumption over the next six months.

Younger Canadians are more likely to feel guilty about eating animals

Young consumers "Are more likely to consider factors such as climate change and animal welfare as critical issues when consuming meat products" Sylvain Charlebois, professor of food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University, told LIVEKINDLY in an email. He felt that the younger the younger generation would have more buying power, the greater the number of people reducing their meat consumption.

Survey participants were also asked about their ethical stance with respect to animal consumption. When asked if they agreed with the statement: "I feel bad when I think of eating meat" 33% of those born after 1994, including the Millennials and Gen-Zers, reported being "somewhat in agreement". This number has dropped for other generations, with many older people saying they "strongly disagree" with this feeling. For example, 53% of those born between 1946 and 1965 do not agree that they feel guilty about eating an animal.

Canadian women are more open to herbal meat

The survey also addressed how men and women (non-binaries are not included) think about meat and herbal options. Although the majority of women agreed that meat consumption was part of a "natural and balanced diet", they were more likely than men to be concerned about animal welfare. Women were also more aware of how to replace traditional meat with vegan meat and other herbal proteins and were more likely to agree that the meat was replaceable. Men, especially the older ones, responded that eating meat was one of the "great pleasures of life".

How new generations are fueling the rise of plant-based food

The findings from the Dalhousie University study are consistent with previous data. According to a study published by the Food Ethics Council this summer, 54% of British residents aged 16 to 24 agreed that the food system "unfair" To animals. Only 32% of people over 65 were of the same opinion, with a large generational gap in how each group views the morality of their food. Forty-six percent of the generation Zers also reported believing that animal agriculture was detrimental to the environment.

Health is another factor determining the food choices of the younger generations in terms of plants. A study published by leading foodservice provider Aramark found that 79% of Generation-Z Americans are interested in a meat-free diet at least once or twice a week. Twenty percent of young Britons also believe that the world will be meatless by 2030, driven by health and environmental concerns, as well as by animal welfare.

Increased awareness of the impact of animal agriculture on health, the planet and animals may have contributed to the rise of the US $ 3.7 billion plant-based food market last year and is expected to reach $ 6.5 billion worldwide by 2026.

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