Health First, Planet Second: New Data Shows Sustainability Slipping Down European Food Priorities

The number of Europeans who say they eat sustainably has dropped to 46%, despite calls for the bloc’s citizens to cut back on meat and dairy.

Over the last year, several countries in Europe have revised their national dietary guidelines to recommend people eat more plants and fewer animals. This, policymakers have noted, is crucial to safeguard both public and planetary health.

But that advice seems to be falling on deaf ears if a 19,500-person survey of consumers in 18 European countries (including the UK) is anything to go by.

The EIT Food Consumer Observatory’s annual Food Trust Report – backed by the EU – finds that people are prioritising health over sustainability in their food choices, and that too by a considerable margin.

When asked what they’d like to change most about their diets, more than half (51%) of Europeans said they wanted to eat healthier food, while 12% were looking for more affordable options.

Less than one in 10 (9%) of respondents said they wanted to prioritise sustainability, a concerning finding for a demographic that has tended to be more climate-literate than their counterparts in the US or Asia.

“While sustainability remains important, shifting global priorities have pushed other concerns to the forefront. Issues like the war in Ukraine, rising prices and political uncertainty have dominated public discourse, leading to a decline in consumer focus on sustainability,” Sofia Kuhn, director of public insights and engagement at EIT Food, told Green Queen.

“Additionally, many people still struggle to understand what sustainable eating truly means, making it harder to take meaningful action. On a broader scale, sustainability has also lost some political momentum, reflecting a wider global trend. To keep sustainability top of mind, clearer communication, education and political action are needed to help consumers make informed and impactful choices.”

Less than one in five Europeans is avoiding meat or dairy

Europeans eat twice as much meat as the global average and what’s recommended by Eat Lancet’s Planetary Health Diet. However, 63% of them are satisfied with their current diets, and only 15% would like to make changes to the way they eat.

Of those who are unsatisfied, 65% mention healthier diets as the priority improvement, and just 5% point to sustainability. However, the importance of the latter increases importance among those happy with their current eating patterns, 12% of whom call it a priority.

“This means that consumers first want to maximise the healthiness of their diets and pay attention to the planetary impact of their diet when they are satisfied with the healthiness,” the report notes.

But the intention to live sustainably has been on the decline since 2020, when 78% of Europeans said they wanted to be more eco-friendly, compared to 70% today – this is despite climate change wreaking havoc on the continent and killing 45,000 people annually.

This translates to diet too. The share of Europeans who say they eat sustainably has reduced from 51% in 2020 to 46% in 2024. And despite meat and dairy being highly polluting foods – they account for 84% of EU agricultural emissions, despite providing only 35% of its calories – less than one in five (18%) say they avoid animal products.

“The number of people avoiding animal products may seem low, but it’s important to consider the historical context – humans have consumed meat for centuries,” said Kuhn. “The idea of eliminating animal products entirely is relatively new and remains a lifestyle choice rather than the norm. However, plant-based alternatives are growing in popularity and, as awareness of environmental and health factors increases, we may see a gradual shift in consumer habits.”

In contrast, 40% of respondents say they actively avoid processed foods, highlighting the conundrum faced by plant-based meat makers. Seasonal and local eating are the major dietary considerations when it comes to sustainability, though just 30% try to eat foods with the “least impact on the environment”.

Knowledge gap key to sustainability interest

Over half of Europeans would like to increase their intake of fruits and vegetables, in line with dietary recommendations. That said even though they’re overconsuming protein, 30% would like to eat more of this macronutrient. In contrast, only 38% want to increase fibre consumption, despite most Europeans being fibre-deficient.

In terms of future dietary changes, about 60% of survey respondents say they’d like to avoid processed foods, but only a quarter say the same for animal-based foods. In fact, 12% would like to increase their intake of meat and dairy, leaving the net percentage of people who want to eat more plant-forward at 13%.

“Despite the fact that this is probably the most sustainable behaviour on the list and the attention given to this change in diets, very few consumers are planning to shift their intake of animal-based products to more plant-based options,” the report found.

Going forward, 44% of Europeans would like to decrease the environmental impact of their diets, an improvement on current trends. In a blow to regenerative agriculture, only 26% of people want to eat more foods grown this way.

One reason for the low interest in planet-friendly eating could be a knowledge gap. Only 46% of Europeans feel they have enough knowledge about the sustainability of food, and just 41% can determine just how eco-friendly a food is.

This is directly linked with trust in the food chain – those who trust various food system actors feel more knowledgeable about sustainability. The problem EIT’s research has uncovered is that not enough people have faith in the food chain. Only around a quarter of Europeans trust retailers and regulatory authorities on sustainability, and even the most trusted actors – farmers – fall short here.

Lack of support for cultivated meat and animal-free dairy

One way to improve the European diet is through food innovation. However, consumer enthusiasm for this has already been low and dropped from 34% in 2023 to 28% last year. This is also associated with trust in the food system – 38% of those who have faith in the food chain are open to innovation, versus 16% who don’t.

Foods that support emotional well-being are the most popular form of new tech among Europeans, followed by personalised nutrition, indoor farming, and algae-based foods. Only a third support animal-free dairy products made from precision fermentation, while an equal number of Europeans are in opposition.

The most disliked innovation is insect protein (rejected by 62% of Europeans), although 3D-printed food and genetically altered foods aren’t far behind (58% and 57%, respectively).

As for cultivated meat, more people are opposed to it (45%) than in favour (29%). This comes against the backdrop of Italy’s ban on cultivated meat, and similar (though so far unsuccessful) efforts by countries like France, Romania, and Hungary. At the same time, the European region is an emerging leader in the novel foods space, with several homegrown companies undergoing regulatory checks in other countries, and one startup selling cultivated chicken for pets beginning last week.

“Consumers are always sceptical of food they are not familiar with and do not understand how it has been produced. New technologies are often slow in being accepted, and some are not being accepted at all,” said Kuhn. “Communication is decisive when introducing such products on the market so clarity and transparency from all involved stakeholders will be crucial in building consumer trust.”

EIT’s results contradict other polls conducted among Europeans, which show that 52% have made climate-friendly dietary shifts over the last two years, with 29% cutting back on meat, and more than half of respondents supporting the sale of cultivated meat in most surveyed EU member states.

The EIT Food Trust Report also comes amid calls by doctors, climate experts, food giants, and even farmers to accelerate the protein transition in the EU and spotlight sustainability in the European Council’s upcoming agrifood vision.

To build consumer trust and drive adoption in Europe, future food and companies working on protein diversification must prioritise openness and transparency. Clear, accessible communication is key, explaining processes in simple terms rather than presenting them as complex, high-tech innovations,” said Kuhn.

“Framing these products as part of modern food production, rather than a futuristic experiment, will help consumers feel more comfortable. Beyond sustainability and health benefits, taste and affordability remain important to consumers so this should also be considered.”