{"id":50380632,"date":"2023-09-29T12:58:52","date_gmt":"2023-09-29T11:58:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dialogochino.net\/?post_type=photo_story&p=380632"},"modified":"2025-10-14T10:50:53","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T09:50:53","slug":"380632-is-beef-losing-ground-in-south-america","status":"publish","type":"photo_story","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/food\/380632-is-beef-losing-ground-in-south-america\/","title":{"rendered":"Is beef losing ground in South America?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Past the forest-green walls and vibrant orange countertop, the lure of a greasy grill beckons. In one corner, a soda dispenser with all the classics. In another, the words #BeTheChange painted in graffiti script.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And at the back, over a tabletop made of recycled plastic, Agust\u00edn Amarilla bites into two tender patties oozing out of a brioche bun seared with a smiley face on top. They look like beef, even feel and taste familiar \u2013 but there isn\u2019t an ounce of red meat here, just a specially made, legume-based recipe, heavy on protein-rich peas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 24-year-old web developer was raised on a hearty typical Argentine diet of meat, in a suburb of the capital, Buenos Aires. The tradition of the asado<\/em>, a barbecue gathering celebrated practically every Sunday, was followed religiously in his family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Amarilla says he has long questioned the morality of a diet based on killing animals, leading to him cutting out pork. During one recent lunch hour, he accompanied a friend to Joy Burgers & Plants, said to be Latin America\u2019s first vegan fast-food chain, to try one of their plant-based burgers. Such an outing would have been unheard of just a few years ago, he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"a<\/div>
\u2018Felices las vacas<\/em>\u2019 (happy the cows), reads a poster at Joy Burgers & Plants in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is the name of the brand that produces the plant-based burgers sold at the restaurant, said to be Latin America\u2019s first vegan fast-food chain. (Image: Anita Pouchard Serra \/ Di\u00e1logo Chino)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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A meal at Joy Burgers & Plants, including a faux-chicken hamburger and vegan nuggets (Image: Anita Pouchard Serra \/ Di\u00e1logo Chino)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHam sandwiches, choripan<\/em> [a chorizo sandwich popular in South America] \u2026 Everything had meat,\u201d Amarilla says. \u201cA vegan place like this is new, like so many other new things that are incorporated little by little.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That Joy Burgers & Plants opened in Argentina \u2013 a country whose identity is inextricably linked to beef and cattle \u2013 is a reflection of changing global dietary patterns as volatile economies, environmental, health and animal welfare concerns converge. High-income countries that have traditionally been the drivers of meat consumption are seeing their numbers stagnate, while in places like Argentina and neighbouring Brazil, where beef carries important cultural and economic weight, plant-based diets <\/a>are on the rise<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A survey of 1,000 people commissioned by the Vegan Union of Argentina found that in 2019, 9% of Argentines identified as vegan or vegetarian. A year later, that number was 12%<\/a> \u2013 the equivalent of more than 5 million people, while another 12% considered themselves \u201cflexitarian\u201d \u2013 someone who has dramatically altered their meat consumption, but not given it up altogether. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2018, an estimated 14% of Brazilians were vegetarian, according to the Brazilian Vegetarian Society. By 2022, the group reported that as many as 46%<\/a> of people in the country were reducing their meat consumption at least one day a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"a<\/div>
Filipe Catto, a singer, prepares a vegan dinner with her friends in S\u00e3o Paulo city centre (Image: Dan Agostini \/ Di\u00e1logo Chino)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Filipe Catto prepares a meal. She stopped eating meat out of concern for animal welfare but also because of the environmental impact of meat production. (Image: Dan Agostini \/ Di\u00e1logo Chino)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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A table set with only vegan dishes. Filipe Catto believes that Brazilians should leave behind meat-eating traditions and turn to the many vegan options available. (Image: Dan Agostini \/ Di\u00e1logo Chino)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe paradigm of food is changing,\u201d says Matias Cabrera, the co-owner of Joy Burgers & Plants, which opened five outlets in Buenos Aires in the span of six months, and is planning an expansion into Chile. \u201cI think the new generations are giving us a wake-up call in terms of what we should be consuming, and how we should be treating the planet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The role of beef<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Amid these behavioural shifts, however, it is clear that beef still maintains a grip on the dietary choices of large swathes of the planet. In 2022, the United Nations\u2019 Food and Agriculture Organization forecast<\/a> that worldwide meat production would inch up to 360 million tonnes for the year, up by 1.4% on 2021. Almost 74 million tonnes of that were expected to be beef. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As North America and Oceania cut back on red meat, China, the world\u2019s second-largest beef consumer, is seeing its consumption rise thanks to a growing middle class. Countries such as India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Vietnam, and the Sub-Saharan region of Africa will also drive meat volumes up, according to the FAO, which ties it to a jump in both income and population. All told, global per capita meat consumption is expected to rise 2% by 2032<\/a>, a rate similar to the previous decade, the organisation notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"a<\/div>
Liao, a migrant worker eating beef noodles for breakfast at a shop in Xinping, Sichuan province, China. Beef consumption has risen in China with the growth of the middle class, though pork is still the most popular meat. (Image: Xiaoye \/ Di\u00e1logo Chino)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The FAO says, however, that the environmental impact of beef production, along with the deforestation necessary to raise the cattle, has been driving more consumers to opt for chicken or other options. \u201cGlobally, there is a growing trend among consumers to become increasingly sensitive to animal welfare, environmental and health concerns, and poultry has the least carbon footprint,\u201d its 2032 agricultural outlook reads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Economics is another factor. Both Brazil and Argentina have seen per capita consumption of beef decline over the past decade. The changes in consumer behaviour and meat prices in Brazil, the largest exporter of beef in the world, are related to the beef production cycles and the increase in demand from China since 2019, says Thiago Bernardino de Carvalho, a livestock researcher at Esalq, the University of S\u00e3o Paulo\u2019s agricultural school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between 2016 and 2019, an increase in production in Brazil drove the price of beef on the domestic market down, and consumption up, according to Carvalho. With lower prices, producers began to invest less in beef. In turn, the then diminished supply led to an increase in prices. Between 2020 and 2022, the price of meat in general rose by 30% in Brazil, according to the Broad Consumer Price Index, Brazil\u2019s official inflation indicator. In 2023, it fell by almost 6%<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBrazilians prefer beef, but if they don\u2019t have the income, they won\u2019t buy it,\u201d says Carvalho. \u201cWhen you have an increase in GDP and income, the consumer goes back to consuming [animal] protein. This is true in Brazil and all over the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"a<\/div>
Juan Francisco Moretti, a teacher, eats rib-eye and matured steak at Corte Comedor, a gourmet meat restaurant in Buenos Aires. He generally prefers to eat less meat for economic and environmental reasons, but chooses meat of good quality when he does. (Image: Anita Pouchard Serra \/ Di\u00e1logo Chino)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The trend is visible in Argentina, which has been mired in an economic crisis for several years, struggling with one of the highest levels of inflation in the world, at 124%<\/a> as of August. While the amount of beef eaten has been creeping up again, at 53 kg per capita in 2023, it still remains well below the 67 kg<\/a> seen during the 2007-2009 peak. Argentina\u2019s agriculture ministry reported that exports of beef jumped 13% in the first five months<\/a> of 2023, compared to the same period last year, driven by demand in China, which buys 78% of Argentina\u2019s beef. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Per capita, Chinese people eat about one-third of the amount of beef consumed by those in the United Kingdom, one-sixth of what Americans and Brazilians eat, and one-ninth of the average Argentine\u2019s diet. Pork and poultry have traditionally been favoured over beef in China \u2013 and continue to be by far the most consumed<\/a> meats. But rising incomes and changing dietary habits, as well as low domestic supply, have all played a role in the increase in the country\u2019s beef imports, which grew by around 25% in just 11 years, according to the FAO, to over 4 kg per capita in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"a<\/div>
Yang Lan, a freelancer, and her sisters eat burgers in a trendy neighbourhood in Beijing (Image: Xiaoye \/ Di\u00e1logo Chino)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"a<\/div>
Xiao Qing, manager of a bookshop in Songlin, Sichuan province, displays the vegan dishes she just cooked: Vietnamese rice noodles with sour bamboo shoots, sticky rice steamed in banana leaves, banana-cocoa pound cake, and more. Six years ago, she chose to come back to her hometown in the countryside and become a vegetarian. (Image: Xiaoye \/ Di\u00e1logo Chino)\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCows have held significant importance in Chinese culture since ancient times, symbolising hard work, docility and abundance,\u201d says Z*, a 44-year-old living in Beijing, who has been a vegetarian for 11 years. While she was working in the sustainable development field, Z identified a \u201cshift\u201d in her \u201cperception of life\u201d, and began to feel that \u201cadopting a vegetarian diet is a good choice, especially avoiding the consumption of live beings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While she says hasn\u2019t seen a strong trend towards veganism or vegetarianism in China, she also hasn\u2019t felt any sort of backlash. Vegetarians can find restaurant options in bigger cities that offer mock meat dishes based primarily on soy products, prepared using traditional Chinese cooking methods, she adds. What is missing, says Z, is a better understanding of how food consumption connects to issues such as forest conservation and livestock farming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For 37-year-old Beijinger Deng, cutting out meat entirely has never really been an option. She stopped eating beef for three years, but eventually went back, saying that the restrictions \u201cheightened her desire for meat\u201d, while Chinese cooking habits also made it difficult to keep up: \u201cIn reality, it\u2019s possible to accidentally consume it, especially when dining out, which is really common for a city life.\u201d She says there are fewer vegetarian-only dishes in Chinese cuisine, and many restaurants use animal-based oils, making it difficult to adhere to a strictly vegan diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"a<\/div>
Pu Jing, a Buddhist monk, eating a dish of stir-fried celery with tofu skin, at Wanfu Temple in Sichuan province, China. Tofu is one of the main ingredients in traditional Chinese vegetarian cuisine, which has strong links with Buddhism. (Image: Xiaoye \/ Di\u00e1logo Chino)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI believe there hasn\u2019t been much serious discussion about vegetarianism in China. Most people think it\u2019s something that only monks practice,\u201d she says. \u201cLife is short, so I eat what I want,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the outskirts of S\u00e3o Paulo, in the favela neighbourhood of Parais\u00f3polis, a small food stand run out of a garage sums up the consistent allure of meat. Here, Erbenes Alves, 43, and Geanes Maria de Souza, 46, sell cuts of roast beef as well as roasted chicken, the latter being their most popular item. Nearby, butchers call out their prices to passers-by, their shops packed to the brim with punters and product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the favela, the relationship between prices and consumption is clear and immediate. Alves can measure it not just by sales, but by smoke \u2013 when prices are low, the narrow streets are smoky from fired-up barbecue grills. Nonetheless, as a traditional staple, beef is hard to give up for some, even when prices go up: \u201cI\u2019ve never thought of cutting back,\u201d says Cleiton Ara\u00fajo, a house painter, munching on a churrasquinho<\/em>, a skewered beef kebab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"a<\/div>
Geanes Maria de Souza, owner of a street stand that sells roasted chicken and beef, greets a customer in the favela of Parais\u00f3polis, S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil. Residents have come back to eating meat as usual, especially beef, after a fall in prices in 2023. (Image: Dan Agostini \/ Di\u00e1logo Chino)\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Jos\u00e9 Fraz\u00e3o da Silva, with a dish of roasted chicken and potatoes, bought on the streets of Parais\u00f3polis, S\u00e3o Paulo (Image: Dan Agostini \/ Di\u00e1logo Chino)\u00a0<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Roasted beef and sausages in Parais\u00f3polis, S\u00e3o Paulo. Between 2020 and 2022, the price of meat rose by 30% in Brazil, and led many to switch to chicken or even eggs for animal protein intake. (Image: Dan Agostini \/ Di\u00e1logo Chino)\u00a0<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Tradition is a hard nut to crack. At a neo-Tudor home in Buenos Aires\u2019 Villa Urquiza neighbourhood, a group of friends mingled around the smouldering coals of a Sunday asado<\/em> that featured a variety of cuts of beef, chorizo, chicken and vegetables. It wasn\u2019t just a love of meat that brought them together, but the pleasure of being in a community, of commiserating over politics, economics and family travails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In practical terms, Ervin Jesus, a doctor, says he eats beef because it\u2019s tasty, easy to prepare and, according to him, is still the cheapest option for a nourishing meal. \u201cThere are those who say, \u2018let\u2019s plant lettuce so we don\u2019t kill cows.\u2019 But to plant lettuce, you still need to transport it, which uses fuel and pollutes,\u201d the 41-year-old says. \u201cObjectively speaking,\u201d he claims, \u201cthere isn\u2019t a reality where we are going to eat organic and not contaminate the country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"a<\/div>
Leandro Meiners hosts friends and family for a traditional asado<\/em> in his home in Buenos Aires. He cooked a variety of cuts of beef, chorizo, chicken and vegetables on the grill. (Image: Anita Pouchard Serra \/ Di\u00e1logo Chino)\u00a0<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"a<\/div>
The asado <\/em>is an Argentinian tradition regularly celebrated on Sunday, and is a way to bring people together to eat \u2013 and often commiserate over politics, economics and family travails (Image: Anita Pouchard Serra \/ Di\u00e1logo Chino)\u00a0<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Despite this perception, studies have shown that a 50 gram chunk of red meat is associated with at least 20 times<\/a> more greenhouse gas emissions than a 100 g portion of vegetables, and 100 times as much land use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back in Brazil, in the middle-class S\u00e3o Paulo neighbourhood of Pomp\u00e9ia, Maria Pia Banchieri reflected as she sat with friends, nibbling on iscas de carne<\/em>, strips of red meat often eaten as a bar snack. \u201cBy reducing my meat consumption, I\u2019ve started to eat better,\u201d says the 51-year-old publicist and teacher, who still eats beef two or three times a week, having been raised consuming it daily. \u201cI make lunchboxes, and they’re now much more varied [than my previous diet]. I also feel that my health has improved.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Beef iscas <\/em>strips, fried manioc, various sauces and beer on a table at the Pompeu and Pomp\u00e9ia bar in S\u00e3o Paulo. Currently, around 30% of clients do not consume meat with their order, according to the staff. (Image: Dan Agostini \/ Di\u00e1logo Chino)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Maria Pia Banchieri meets with friends over drinks and snacks at a bar in Pomp\u00e9ia, S\u00e3o Paulo. She decided to reduce her meat consumption and feels that her health has improved from it. (Image: Dan Agostini \/ Di\u00e1logo Chino)\u00a0\u00a0<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

A changing reality<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For Manual Mart\u00ed, a vegan for 49 years, the shift towards a more plant-based diet is already underway. He founded the Vegan Union of Argentina 20 years ago at a time when, he says, no one knew what being a \u201cvegan\u201d meant. \u201cFinding another vegetarian was like an event,\u201d he says, solemnly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, he calls veganism \u201cthe largest revolution in the history of humanity, because it\u2019s something that is global, it\u2019s pacifist, it\u2019s loving, it\u2019s based on an ethical position.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When people start to understand the statistics related to the consumption of animal products, he says, \u201cthey become aware, reflect, and change their habits. And that is uncontrollable.\u201d While it\u2019s a shift that is happening from the ground up, he believes it would be much stronger if the state got involved in promoting such options. But it\u2019s still proving to be an uphill struggle. His organisation has repeatedly tried to get the government of Buenos Aires to incorporate one vegan or vegetarian option into the lunch menus of public school cafeterias, to no avail. Meanwhile, the Institute for the Promotion of Beef (IPCVA) has held a \u201cpassion for Argentine beef\u201d<\/a> contest for students as a way of encouraging them to study the cattle industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"a<\/div>
Joy Burgers & Plants aims at non-vegan consumers, attracting them with the same flavours as other meat-based chains. Their goal is to break with the perception that vegan food does not taste good. (Image: Anita Pouchard Serra \/ Di\u00e1logo Chino)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEveryday [students] eat some type of animal. Maybe they accompany it with mashed potatoes, but they\u2019re eating beef, or pork, or fish, or chicken,\u201d said Marti, proof for him that veganism is something that continues to be \u201cdiscriminated against\u201d, despite warnings from international organisations and climate scientists that identify livestock production as a major contributor of greenhouse gas emissions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yet, the availability of information on vegan options, and the transformation in consumer behaviour is plain to see, says Marti: \u201cToday, after two decades, everyone has a vegan in their family, or in their circle of friends. It\u2019s incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Joy Burgers & Plants owner Cabrera, his restaurants are about innovation, not activism. He is not a vegan; one of his two business partners is. But they\u2019re most interested in courting the non-vegan \u2013 that experimental consumer who is willing to try something new \u2013 and see where it takes them. Their goal is to break with the idea that vegan food doesn\u2019t taste good, and they\u2019re doing it honestly. \u201cWe are not a healthy food chain, but we recreate the flavours, textures and experiences of the big chains that we knew when we were young,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe feel that nobody was born vegan, but they became vegan because of a question of ideals, and because the era of information is way more immediate, ephemeral and constant,\u201d says Cabrera. \u201cWe\u2019re looking for a food revolution and we\u2019re inviting everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*Interviewee asked to not be named<\/em> for professional reasons, pointing to sensitivities around foreign media in China.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Beef is still king on the continent, but plant-based diets are on the rise in Argentina and Brazil amid changing global patterns<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":50380651,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","categories":[763],"tags":[50029579],"country":[50000020,50000021,20000110],"class_list":["post-50380632","photo_story","type-photo_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food","tag-beef","country-argentina","country-brazil","country-china"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nIs beef losing ground in South America?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Beef is still king on the continent, but plant-based diets are on the rise in Argentina and Brazil amid changing global patterns\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/food\/380632-is-beef-losing-ground-in-south-america\/\" 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