Ecobarometer Every second person would eat less meat

Just three years ago, a veggie day, in which canteens and canteens offer only meatless dishes, met with great hostility among the population. Meanwhile, the Germans are more open to the occasional renunciation of meat: over 80 percent advocate a vegetarian day in the week. This is a conclusion of the current Ökobarometer, for which 1,005 consumers aged 14 and over in January 2016 to the consumption of organic food were surveyed. The focus was on organic meat. The survey is regularly commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL).
More than half of Germans are prepared to eat less meat. For women it is easier to give up: Three-quarters can imagine very well that they do not eat meat one day a week and in some cases already act after that. At least 57 percent of the men are men.

Vegetarian life is becoming increasingly popular! Picture: Picture-Factory - fotolia

One in four citizens often or exclusively uses organic food. Non-organic consumers include more men (40%) than women (26%) and more often low-income people. In the countryside, the abandonment of organic products is significantly higher at 44% than in the big city (25%) or in urban areas (30%).

There are hardly any differences between husband and wife regarding the reasons for buying organic food. First and foremost is the optimum freshness and quality of the products. This is followed by the natural taste, the avoidance of pesticide residues, fair income for producers and the positive contribution to environmental protection.

The interest for organic food is primarily aroused by private contacts with organic customers (65%). Newspapers play a lesser role than in 2013 (30%). The Internet (24%) and advice from organic food stores and directly from the producer (51%) have gained in importance in recent years. (Heike Kreutz, aid)