Out Of The Borders Food
Sustainable dietary transition Vegetarianism, veganism and flexitarianism, emerging trends? by Hélène Vallée (Volunteer at Action Art)
In recent years we have heard a lot about vegetarianism, veganism and flexitarianism.
These modes of food consumption are benefiting from a fertile ground that facilitates dietary change, particularly through the growing media coverage, the development of the plant-based offer, the introduction of vegetarian menus in collective catering... But what is the reality of the phenomenon?
Vegetarianism is still a marginal trend, so that
To begin with, what do the terms vegetarian,
vegan and flexitarian mean and what are their differences? Vegetarianism is a diet that excludes the consumption of meat and fish but not the consumption of foods of animal origin such as eggs or milk. Not to be confused with veganism, which is a way of life. A vegan person excludes all products of animal origin and adopts an animal-friendly lifestyle (clothing, cosmetics, leisure activities, etc.). As far as flexitarianism is concerned, it corresponds to a reduction in meat consumption, and is practised in different ways: by applying a “meat-free day”, by not eating meat at every meal or by reducing the size of portions.
it is still difficult to establish the profile of a vegetarian in every country. Nevertheless, the phenomenon seems to attract more women, people under 35 and urban populations or those with a strong cultural capital. On the contrary, flexitarianism, which is more widespread, affects all age groups and seems to respond to different logics. The number of vegetarians is constantly increasing, as numerous studies in different European countries show. In Germany, for example, the number of vegetarians has doubled since 2006. There are now about 7.8 million vegetarians (almost 10% of the population) according to the study by YouGov. As far as the French are concerned, according to Xerfi, vegetarians represent only about 2% of the French population (around 1.3 million people) while flexitarians account for a third of the population, i.e. nearly 23 million people.
What are the reasons to reduce meat consumption ?
The motivations of vegetarians or flexitarians are usually multiple. Awareness of the ethical, environmental and health consequences has led
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