[Salbodogogi] Meat Becomes the Star of the Table... Closing the 1kg Gap with Rice, Overtaking 'Just Ahead'

Per Capita Meat Consumption Last Year 55.9kg
Rice Consumption 56.9kg... 1kg Difference
50 Years Ago, Rice Consumption Was 26 Times Meat
Reversal Accelerated Since 2000s
Meat May Surpass Rice for the First Time This Year

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] "Do I really have to eat rice?"

Kim Moon-young (24, female), a university student living alone in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, has meals without 'rice' as a daily routine. She originally did not eat breakfast and prefers to eat simple meals like fast food for lunch. Her main carbohydrate sources are mostly bread or noodles, and protein is naturally meat. Out of 15 lunches and dinners she had in the past week, only 5 included rice. Kim said, "Even when I eat at home, preparing rice and side dishes is cumbersome, so I mostly eat instant foods that are easy to prepare."

The saying "Koreans live on the power of rice" is already a thing of the past. That place has been filled by wheat and meat. According to the Agricultural Technology Institute on the 24th, per capita wheat consumption in Korea was only about 14kg in the 1970s but has steadily increased. It currently stands at 33kg annually, second only to rice among grains.

The increase in meat consumption is even steeper. According to the Korea Hanwoo Association, Korea Pork Producers Association, and Korea Broiler Association, the annual per capita meat consumption (beef, pork, chicken) in Korea last year was 55.9kg. Koreans ate the most pork at 27.6kg per year, followed by chicken at 14.7kg and beef at 13.6kg.

Meat consumption has increased by about 3% annually since the 2000s. It was 46.9kg in 2015, surpassed 50kg at 53.8kg in 2018, and has continued to rise since. Due to the impact of COVID-19, it slightly dropped to 52.5kg in 2020 compared to the previous year but has since recovered to previous levels.

On the other hand, rice consumption continues to decline. Last year it was 56.9kg, down 1.4% from 57.5kg the previous year. Rice consumption, which was 69.8kg in 2012, has decreased every year, falling to 59.2kg in 2019?the first time it dropped to the 50kg range?and continues to decline. This has led to forecasts that meat consumption will surpass rice consumption for the first time this year.

This trend is related to the increasing number of generations accustomed to Western-style food and the development of various food industries that satisfy this demand. The traditional eating habit of 'rice + various side dishes' does not fit well with the lifestyle patterns of nuclear families and single-person households, which is also a major factor. Professor Kim Yong-hwi of Sejong University’s Department of Food and Biotechnology said, "Food culture has shifted from side dish-centered to rice bowl-centered meals, with a preference for wheat-based meals over rice and for meat. Since there are no suitable ingredients to replace the unique taste of meat, and the trend to simplify eating habits is strong, the trend of 'meat over rice' will continue."

Changes in eating habits have also significantly altered the landscape of related industries. The representative beneficiary industry is home meal replacements (HMR) such as ready-to-eat foods. The offline retail market for ready-to-eat foods in Korea has been growing by 10% annually since 2020. Industries utilizing 'excess' rice are also becoming active. The government enacted the Rice Processing Industry Act in 2011 to strengthen the growth foundation of the rice processing industry and has been implementing the first and second 5-year basic plans since 2014.

As meat consumption has increased over decades, there have been noticeable changes in Koreans’ health status. Although multiple factors are involved, many analyses suggest that sufficient meat intake has been a major cause of improved adolescent physique and increased obesity rates. Additionally, diseases such as colorectal cancer, which had lower prevalence in Koreans compared to Westerners in the past, have become more common in Korea, which can also be understood in this context.