US meat consumption has been on the decline since 2004. Meat-eating is down 7% from the peak as of 2011 and is expected to fall even faster: the USDA predicts 2012 consumption at 12% below 2007 levels. Beef has been especially hard-hit–poultry consumption passed beef in the late 1990′s and beef is now falling near pork-consumption levels. The price of beef is often cited as a reason, but consumption started falling well before the recession hit or the price of corn was driven up by ethanol demand.
Read more about declining meat consumption:
Peak Meat (Earth Policy Institute)
Americans are Eating Less and Less Meat (Washington Post)
We’re Eating Less Meat: Why? (New York Times)
Tags: Peak Meat
