Research-Thesis: European Meat Consumption and the Environment

Abstract

From its environmental impact to the rising prevalence of diet-related diseases, meat consumption stands as one of the most pressing global challenges. This master’s thesis investigates the main factors influencing meat consumption in the European Union, distinguishing between beef, poultry, pork, and mutton/goat. The objective is to provide evidence-based insights to inform public policies aimed at promoting more sustainable diets. The analysis relies on a panel dataset covering 27 European Union countries over the period 1995–2023, combining data from the FAO and the World Bank. Following a series of diagnostic tests, fixed-effects models with time fixed effects were estimated using Driscoll–Kraay standard errors to account for cross-sectional dependence, heteroskedasticity, and autocorrelation. Results indicate that income elasticity may depend on the level of gross national income per capita, suggesting that peak levels of pork and poultry consumption may be reached within the European Union. Urbanisation emerges as a positive and statistically significant determinant across all meat categories, indicating its central role in future policy design. Price elasticities show limited statistical significance, underscoring the importance of non-price factors and the need for demand-system approaches to better capture substitution patterns. Policy recommendations therefore emphasise behavioural interventions, such as targeted communication, education campaigns as primary tools, with taxation serving as a complementary measure. These approaches can address the cultural and habitual dimensions of meat consumption while supporting the EU’s sustainability goals.