Swiss purchasing less meat as flexitarianism takes hold
The Swiss are drastically cutting back on their meat intake with the rise of flexitarianism while vegetarian or vegan diets are barely expanding.
According to a study by researchers at the Institute of Retail Management at the University of St.Gallen have been investigating eating habits in Switzerland for three years., the Swiss continue to consume cow’s milk, which is particularly noteworthy. Although they are gradually becoming more popular, plant-based milk substitutes like soy or oat drinks are not yet a significant rival.
The internationally recognised nutrition concept “Planetary Health Diet” combines health and ecological sustainability. The updated Swiss food pyramid, which is an important part of the federal government’s nutrition strategy, puts the sustainability of nutrition on the same level as health promotion for the first time. It emphasises a plant-based diet, reduced meat consumption and a focus on environmentally friendly foods, which shows strong parallels to the Planetary Health Diet.
According to the study, the proportion of flexitarian households in Switzerland rose from 18.3 % to 26.6 % between 2022 and 2024: many people are deliberately reducing their meat and fish consumption without completely avoiding animal products.
“Flexitarians focus on a balanced mix of plant-based and animal-based foods, whereby consumption should not exceed 300 grams of meat and 200 grams of fish and seafood per week,” says Dr Matthias Eggenschwiler, co-author of the study. This development can be attributed to an increasing sensitivity to sustainable nutrition and conscious consumption.
Although plant-based milk and yogurt alternatives are increasingly available, their consumption in Switzerland remains low. The market share of plant-based milk alternatives, for example, has only increased from 10.2 % to 11.5 % in the last two years.
The reasons for this development could be traditional consumer habits and insufficient education about the health and environmental advantages and disadvantages of these alternatives. Plant-based options offer clear advantages: oat milk is sustainable to produce, while soy milk has a similarly high protein content to conventional cow’s milk. Nevertheless, the potential of these products remains untapped.
Only 13 % of Swiss households meet the requirements of the Planetary Health Diet in terms of the consumption of products of animal origin – a moderate improvement of 2 percentage points since 2022. This illustrates that the shift towards a more sustainable diet has begun, but is progressing slowly: “Reduced meat consumption indicates a growing awareness of sustainable nutrition. However, a complete transition to a planetary health diet remains a challenge for the majority of the population,” says Dr Matthias Eggenschwiler.
To accelerate progress, the researchers recommend comprehensive education, promotion of attractive plant-based alternatives, and policy incentives that make sustainable diets easier and more accessible to all.
The following were involved in the research project: Dr Matthias Eggenschwiler (University of St.Gallen), Professor Marc Linzmajer (University of Rostock), Melanie Stoll (Inselspital Bern), Professor Lia Bally (University of Bern, Inselspital Bern). The project was financially supported by Danone Switzerland.
The study is based on the “Swiss Nutrition Atlas” – a comprehensive database that analyses the nutritional behaviour of representative households in Switzerland on the basis of purchasing data.
