BRIEFING: A global review of vegetarian markets and industry issues

Despite the considerable growth in their numbers, true vegetarians remain a minority. But this is to miss the point. The real growth sector is in providing a meat-free alternative to those consumers who are eating a lot less meat (especially red meat) as part of a “healthier” diet. While animal welfare concerns have moved up the news agenda, human beings are still basically selfish and the weekly diet of news horror stories regarding our food – BSE, nvCJD, e-coli, foot and mouth disease and cancer-causing farmed salmon to name just a few – has led many consumers to consider the alternatives. This exclusive briefing assess the key markets for vegetarian food and some of the major issues affecting the sector.