For the environment, for animal welfare, for medical or nutritional reasons, or simply because it costs too much—meat consumption in Spain has fallen sharply in recent years. Beef, for example, has dropped by more than 40 percent since 2006. The sector has long carried blame for pollution from pig slurry, large pig farms, and greenhouse gas emissions from cattle, while also contending with increasingly strict regulations that are not making things easy. “The industry has faced scrutiny that doesn’t always align with data,” notes Barbara Calvaresi, head of the meat sector at the manufacturers and distributors association Aecoc.
To reverse this trend, Aecoc is launching a campaign this May in collaboration with various producer and wholesaler organizations in Spain, the so‑called interprofessions. The aim is to revive demand for this food—often criticized, but pivotal in many respects. It remains a major source of protein, crucial for rural development, and a factor in countering rural depopulation. “The campaign focuses on a simple, direct message, avoiding controversy, and we’ll tell consumers not to feel guilty about eating meat,” Calvaresi emphasizes. The initiative carries the slogan The Sense of Meat and brings together more than 50 companies across the sector, from farmers to suppliers and retailers.
The idea emerged from a survey commissioned by the industry group, which found that 42 percent of Spaniards have substantially reduced meat consumption, with health concerns accounting for about half of those reductions. “We also saw that one in three people only eats certain types of meat, and one in four reported feeling guilty about consuming it because they believed it wasn’t healthy,” Calvaresi elaborates. Yet the study also highlighted positive signals: meat protein remains the most important and best‑quality option for consumers (outpacing fish and legumes), and 62 percent of participants expressed strong trust in Spanish meat production.
From chicken to lamb
Perhaps chicken is handling this consumption crisis best, mainly due to economic factors. Poultry producers, once under fire for how birds were raised, have restructured and shifted toward native breeds and traditional rearing methods to diversify offerings. As a result, per capita demand has even risen by about four percentage points over the past 15 years.
Similarly, pork has held up relatively well, aided by prices that stay affordable compared with other meats. Pork is highly versatile in preparation and now accounts for about 30 percent of fresh meat consumption in Spain. The average household purchases around 11.3 kilograms of pork per person each year over the past five years.
Despite the popularity of some prepared versions, beef consumption has nearly halved over the last two decades. The sector faced a sharp decline when, in 2015, a panel of OMS experts linked red meat consumption to cancer, along with processed meats.
Lamb meat has also declined in market share for some time. It has been hit not only by OMS findings but also by a general shift toward quicker, simpler meals and the stronger, more pronounced flavor of lamb that can be less appealing to some households.
Processed meats, including ham and sausages, have also dipped, though less steeply. In the past two years, demand has rebounded somewhat, driven by continued consumer interest and retail availability, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food.
Export leader status
Experts note a paradox: domestic sales have slowed, yet meat products remain a key driver of Spain’s agricultural exports, generating close to 10.3 billion euros in the previous year. Aecoc’s leadership stresses that the sector has made substantial investments to reduce environmental impact and to ensure animal welfare, and there is concern about being perceived as engaging in greenwashing by skeptical consumers. The industry wants to be seen as proactive and transparent about the progress it has achieved.
What stands out is the broader picture. While internal sales in Spain have cooled, the meat sector remains a crucial export engine, underscoring the country’s status as a major food producer on the international stage.