Of all the animal proteins, pork is the most consumed worldwide. Even though it is not part of the diet of a significant portion of the population for religious reasons – mainly Muslims, Hindus, Jews and Adventists – in 2018, pork accounted for 42.9% of global consumption.
Chicken was 34.6% and beef was 22.5%. The data is from DEPEC – Department of Research and Economic Studies of Bradesco, with data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), in a survey released in 2019.
Pig Production
In that year, the world produced 117 million tons of protein in total. Of this volume, Brazil contributed 3.75 million tons.
The country is currently the fourth largest producer and exporter of protein in the world, behind only China, the European Union and the United States.
For the USDA, in releasing its latest projections, pork production in 2020 will increase by 3.5%, driven by record export demands, which will rise to 15% this year.
But a new factor also leverages the pig farming in the country: change in the taste (and table) of Brazilians.
Brazilian pork consumption
The average national consumption is around 15.6 kg/per capita/year, according to DEPEC. Although it is similar to the global consumption, it is far from the volume consumed by China and Hong Kong, or even the European Union. In these places, according to data from the National Pork Board from 2015, consumption exceeded 40 kg/year per person.
In the United States and Russia, major producers and exporters of the protein, consumption is 29.2 kg/year and 21.2 kg/year, respectively.
According to data from the Brazilian Animal Protein Association, domestic consumption is growing: in 1996 it was 11.6, rising to 15.1 in 2016 until reaching the current 15.6 kg/year.
Still, pork protein is the third most popular protein among Brazilians. Chicken is the most consumed protein (42 kg/year per capita), and beef is in second place (30.7 kg/year per capita).
According to the board of directors of the Agriculture and Livestock Federation of the State of Santa Catarina (FAESC), a number of factors have made this protein an unpopular product among Brazilian consumers. One of them is the climate issue. Countries with colder climates tend to consume more pork.
Another point is culture. This explains why in Santa Catarina, which has a strong pig farming industry, protein consumption is above the national average, at around 24 kg/year per person.
But perhaps the main factor, according to the Federation, is prejudice. For a long time, pork consumption was associated with obesity and disease.