Definition: apparent meat consumption is calculated on the basis of supply balance sheets by adding to the meat production the meat import and deducting the meat export. The data on the apparent meat consumption are aggregated on the basis of separate balances for meat of bovine animals, swine, poultry, sheep, goat, equidae, rabbits, game meat and edible offal. They are expressed in carcase weight (weight of the meat and bones). The apparent meat consumption per inhabitant is the relationship between the apparent meat consumption and the number of inhabitants in a country. The indicator is expressed in grams per day per inhabitant. For information, the factors that are used to convert the carcase weight to the retail weight are 0.70 for beef, 0.78 for pork and 0.88 for sheep and poultry. For this indicator, a breakdown by type is available: red meat (beef, pork, sheep, goat, horse, rabbit, game and offal) on the one hand, and poultry on the other.

The FPB calculates this indicator using data from Statistics Belgium for Belgium and from the OECD for the European Union.

Goal: the excess share of animal proteins in the food consumption must be reduced.

The Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs adopted by the UN in 2015 include target 2.2: “By 2030 end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving by 2025 the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women, and older persons”.

The Federal Long-Term Strategic Vision for Sustainable Development contains objective 28: “The social and ecological impact of our production and consumption patterns in terms of food should be considerably reduced” (Belgian Official Gazette, 08/10/2013). Meat consumption increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and the probability of certain cancers (Superior Health Council, 2013). In addition, meat production has an impact on the environment, for example in terms of greenhouse gas emissions or water consumption (FAO, 2006).

UN indicator: the selected indicator does not correspond to any SDG indicator, but is related to target 2.2 since excess meat consumption is one aspect of malnutrition.

Sources

• Belgian Official Gazette: http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/cgi/welcome.pl; research on http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/doc/rech_f.htm.

• FAO (2006), Livestock's long shadow, http://www.fao.org/3/a0701e/a0701e00.htm (consulted on 22/08/2025).

• Higher Health Council (2013), Avis du Conseil supérieur de la santé N° 8858. Viande rouge, charcuterie à base de viande rouge et prévention du cancer colorectal – Résumé, https://www.health.belgium.be (consulted on 22/08/2025).