Overall, the EU’s production and consumption of animal protein has increased strongly in recent years, but while growth has been seen in the bloc’s seafood harvest, its per capita consumption of fish has decreased, finds the latest analysis from the European Commission’s European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products (EUMOFA).
EUMOFA reported that EU beef production increased from 7.2 million metric tons (MT) in 2013 to 7.8 million MT in 2016; pork increased 1.2 percent from 2015 to 2016, ending at 23.2 million MT; and seafood production increased by 10 percent between 2012 and 2015, reaching almost 5.9 million MT.
The self-sufficiency level for seafood in 2014 was 47.5 percent, because the EU has to rely on imports to cover the domestic demand for species such as cod, tuna, salmon and Alaska pollock. By comparison, member states did not have to import any pork or poultry for which the self-sufficiency levels were 111 percent and 103 percent respectively. For beef, it was close to 100 percent.
Between 2013 and 2015, the EU’s per capita fish consumption decreased by 1.4 percent to 25.11kg with the top species consumed being tuna, cod and salmon. During this period, indeed between 2010 and 2015, consumer prices for seafood continuously increased, although at a declining rate.
EUMOFA highlighted that from 1961 through 2013, the EU’s consumption of animal protein increased by 60 percent, mainly due to a strong increase in poultry (335 percent), but also in pork (64 percent) and seafood (61 percent). It said the poultry consumption had increased in recent years because of increased availability brought by lower production costs when compared with red meat.
Spain is the leading animal protein consumer in the EU with almost 44g per capita per day in 2013. The nation’s favorite product is pork (12.99g per capita daily), followed closely by seafood (12.39g).
The second largest consumer market for animal protein was France with almost 40g/capita daily. Beef was the No. 1 source of animal protein in the French market in 2013 at 9.4g per capita, followed by seafood (8.96g), poultry (8.76g), and pork (8.69g). A large part of the French seafood consumption is farmed Atlantic salmon with the market consuming an estimated 200,000 MT (round weight) of the fish in 2014.
By way of comparison, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), approximately 17 percent of the animal protein consumed globally in 2015 originated from fish – a figure that EUMOFA said has continued to grow, especially in less developed countries.
In 2013, the global daily consumption of seafood ranked third among animal protein sources at 5.2g/capita. This was well behind meat at 14.5 g/capita and milk (excluding butter) at 8.2g/capita.
From 1961 to 2013, the global annual consumption of selected animal protein sources (beef, seafood, poultry, pork and other meat) increased by 86 percent from 10.63g/capita to 19.76g/capita. While beef consumption decreased by 2 percent in the period, poultry, pork and seafood increased significantly at 391 percent, 113 percent and 95 percent respectively.
In 2013, seafood accounted for 26 percent of the animal protein consumption globally, followed by poultry (26 percent), pork (24 percent), beef (18 percent), and other meat (6 percent).
Asia was the world’s largest consumer market for seafood (22 percent), followed by Africa (19 percent) and the EU (11 percent). By comparison, meat (including beef, pork and poultry) accounted for 60 percent of the total consumption in South America and 55 percent in North America and Oceania.
