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Portugal And Spain’s Different Bites On Meat Consumption

By Maria Simon Arboleas and Sofia Sanchez Manzanaro (EurActiv) -- The Iberian Peninsula is a culinary powerhouse – think Spanish jamón and Portuguese bacalhau – and ranks among the EU’s top consumers of meat. But as the global debate over animal products heats up, along with the climate, Spain and Portugal are taking very different bites out of the issue. With the livestock sector accounting for over 80% of the EU’s total agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the World Health Organisation (WHO) calling for a shift to “more plant-based diets," eating habits have become highly political. The EU is also heavily relianton imports of protein crops, such as soybeans, to produce feeds for animals. In this context, the Iberian Peninsula provides an interesting laboratory of trends. Portugal is taking a significant step towards a greener diet: the country is set to become the second EU nation, after Denmark, to launch a national strategy promoting plant-based foods. As part of its newly released national energy and climate plan, Lisbon vowed to promote a “low carbon diet” with less consumption of animal proteins to reduce emissions from the agricultural sector and promote healthier nutrition. “It’s very bold,” said Joana Oliveira, director of ProVeg Portugal. Even more striking, Portugal’s government is led by the centre-right People’s Party, part of the European People’s Party (EPP) – a group that has long resisted even engaging in the debate over a reduction of animal protein for sustainability or health reasons. The political climate isn’t exactly friendly to change, either. Under pressure from the EPP and farmer protests, the Commission shelved plans for an EU-wide sustainable diets framework last year. More recently, an EU advisory group called for more plant-protein production and less reliance on animal products, but the Commission largely ignored the advice in a strategy released last week, avoiding explicit commitments to a plant-based protein strategy. Portuguese MEP Paulo Do Nascimiento Cabral, from the EPP group, told Euractiv that Brussels could draw inspiration from Lisbon's approach, which he said was rooted in a "balanced and integrative nutritional policy." Meat and identity politics Just across Portugal's border, in Spain – one of Europe’s last left-wing bastions – things couldn’t be more different. The debate over meat’s environmental impact only hit the mainstream in 2021. Spain’s socialist PM Pedro Sánchez publicly contradicted his consumer minister, Alberto Garzón, for slamming factory farming’s environmental impact and negative health implications of high meat consumption – but never went as far as calling for vegetarian diets. Sánchez’s categorical response still lingers in Spaniards' minds as one of the most iconic quotes of his tenure: "For me, a perfectly cooked medium-rare chuletón [steak] is unbeatable." Farming minister Luis Planas doubled down and said comments on the health effects of meat are "as wrong as sugar kills." For Samuel Brea, a Spanish researcher on public perceptions of agricultural markets at the Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO), Europe’s most progressive government taking a conservative stance on food is deeply tied to identity politics. “Meat is part of the national identity (…) if you don’t eat jamón, it’s almost as if you’re not Spanish,” Brea said. “And that’s a tough thing to challenge, especially in politics -there’s very little to gain.” But it’s not just about Spanish identity, Brea added. Meat-based foods are also deeply embedded in regional identities, from veal cachopo in Asturias to fuet in Catalonia. “I do think politics here does a good job of reflecting society. We’re not really in a situation where Spanish society is demanding more action,” said Brea. Labelling pioneers Far from supporting a shift towards a more plant-based diet, Madrid has only chosen to timidly acknowledge some consumer trends that favour alternatives to meat and dairy in its new National Food Strategy, which was unveiled in December. The blueprint notes that Spanish consumers are increasingly picking meat alternatives, driven by “health, environmental, and animal welfare concerns,” with a striking 55% rise in products like tofu and seitan since 2018. The only mention of a greener diet is a subtle acknowledgement that the emerging plant-based food sector “must have its place in the market” due to rising demand, but it does not commit to boosting domestic production or improving access to such products. While some EU countries lead the push for plant-based foods, Madrid has pioneered the opposite, being among the first to impose legal restrictions on using terms such as burger or sausage for veggie products that mimic them. Long before France’s court saga over the veggie steak ban, Madrid passed a law in 2014 defining more than 80 meat products, effectively banning their use for plant-based alternatives. Now, Spain is planning to go even further and assess whether it is necessary to modernise the legislation after a recent ruling from the EU’s top court on the matter, sources of the Spanish Agriculture Ministry told Euractiv, The secret lies in the framing For Brea, the key to preventing a reactionary response to measures like Portugal’s lies in how the changes are framed – notably, avoiding presenting the meat sector as the culprit. In this line, MEP Do Nascimiento Cabral said that his country would ensure "the coexistence of diverse food sources" and not exclude meat and fish, which he said were "essential components" of the country's cultural and culinary heritage. The Portuguese government pledges to encourage the production and consumption of leguminous crops, saying this could help ensure “crop self-sufficiency and food sovereignty." As the latter concept has gained political traction in the EU, its mention could be read as a wink to farmers’ role in feeding the country. NGOs also present the upcoming plan as an opportunity for the agricultural sector. “Legumes are deeply rooted in Portugal’s culinary culture, yet the country produces only 14% of the legumes it consumes,” said Oliveira. “This presents a clear opportunity for farmers to expand production." But Portuguese farmers are not so happy with the government's wording. While welcoming measures to increase the production of plant proteins, the Confederation of Portuguese Farmers said it rejects this is done "to the detriment" of animal proteins. While waiting for the new strategy to materialise, Oliveira urges an overdue update to the country’s 20-year-old dietary guidelines to include alternatives like tofu and plant-based drinks. Elsewhere in the EU, nutrition recommendations have already moved in this direction. Meanwhile, Brea notes that this could be a chance to recover Spanish food traditions. “Tradition doesn't have to be chorizo and morcilla [black pudding], but a chickpea stew or fried aubergines from Córdoba are tradition at its best.”