Meat-loving Argentines shun beef as inflation bites

ARGENTINA:

As New Year's festivities draw near, meat-loving Argentines are readying their famous "asado" grills -- traditionally laden with steaks, ribs and sausages.

This year, however, menus will feature much more chicken, pork and even vegetables as inflation puts beef beyond the reach of many and societal values change.

Argentines have for years vied with their neighbors in Uruguay for the title of world's top beef eaters.

But in 2024, Argentina recorded an historic low of 47 kilograms (103 pounds) of red meat consumed per person on average, according to the IPCVA beef promotion institute.

Despite a slight rebound to an estimated 50 kg eaten per person in 2025, consumption was half the nearly 100 kg of beef Argentines were devouring at the end of the 1950s.

Pork and chicken, both cheaper than beef, both grew in popularity in 2025, and the UVA vegan union says more than one in 10 Argentines are now non-meat eaters.

"There are more of us all the time. These days, everyone knows a vegetarian or a vegan in their family," UVA president Manuel Alfredo Marti told AFP.

At a popular meat festival in San Isidro, north of the capital Buenos Aires, avowed carnivores spoke of a combination of push and pull factors they blamed for beef's flagging popularity.

There were economic reasons -- with inflation far outstripping salary growth in Argentina -- but also increased awareness of the health risks of eating too much meat, concerns for animal welfare, and worry for the future of the planet.

At the "Locos por el asado" (Crazy for the Grill) fair, retiree Gustavo Clapsos, 55, said he eats meat "less frequently now than before, for health and cost reasons."