Meat consumption and consumer attitudes in México: Can persistence lead to change?

Meat is an essential element of contemporary Mexican culture. Its consumption is linked to ancestral elements as well as to agri-food globalization. Currently, the three types of meat most consumed by Mexicans are chicken (35 kg/person/year), pork (20 kg/person/year) and beef (15 kg/person/year). The consumption of these types of meats is highly influenced by price, regional preferences and emerging trends related to health, environmental and animal welfare concerns. The Mexican diet also includes other types of meats such as turkey, horse, sheep, goat and rabbit; their consumption is related to factors associated with health, tradition and availability. Mexico is the Latin American country with the highest number of people who follow plant-based diets, with 19% being vegetarian, 15% flexitarian and 9% vegan. This overview shows that the persistence of meat consumption in the country is not a uniform phenomenon, where deep-rooted culinary traditions coexist with changes in the horizon influenced by globalization, health and environmental concerns, animal welfare and household income.