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Global meat supply quadrupled over six decades, but uneven distribution persists: FAO
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Wednesday, 10 June, 2026, 14 : 00 PM [IST]
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Rome, Italy
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The global supply of terrestrial animal source food (TASF), driven mainly by egg, poultry and pig meat, has experienced a significant increase over the past six decades. This expansion has made livestock one of the fastest-growing components of the agricultural sector, according to a new study by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
The report, Drivers of supply and demand of terrestrial animal source food - An evidence and policy overview on the state of knowledge and gaps, provides a comprehensive, science-based global assessment of the livestock sector’s contribution to food security, sustainable agrifood systems, nutrition and healthy diets, and identifies key knowledge gaps. It covers production systems of all scales, ranging from integrated crop–livestock systems to specialised livestock operations, grazing systems and pastoralism, as well as wildlife farming and hunting.
The study examines global supply and demand for TASF, which includes products derived from mammals, birds and insects. It finds that the global supply of TASF has risen rapidly between 1961 and 2022. Poultry meat showed the most pronounced growth, approximately five-fold, followed by eggs and pig meat, both of which nearly doubled, while bovine meat remained stable or declined in many regions.
By 2022, global production of TASF reached: 361 million tonnes of meat, up from around 71 million tonnes in 1961; 930 million tonnes of milk, up from approximately 342 million tonnes; 94 million tonnes of eggs, up from about 15 million tonnes; Data on insect consumption remain limited, with most evidence coming from Africa, Asia and Latin America. Available estimates suggest that around 1900 species are consumed as food.
Asia is now the largest producer of terrestrial animal source foods, followed by Europe. However, production trends do not always translate into availability. Per capita supply remains highest in Northern America, while Asia, despite being the leading producer, has relatively low availability per person. In sub-Saharan Africa, per capita supply has remained largely stagnant, with only limited gains in certain countries, such as milk in Kenya and poultry in South Africa.
Food loss and waste further exacerbate these disparities and present a growing sustainability challenge. An estimated one-third of all food produced globally is lost or wasted, including roughly 14 percent of TASF. Losses are often linked to the perishable nature of these products, inadequate cold chain infrastructure and poor temperature control. These challenges are particularly acute in low- and middle-income countries, where consumption of animal source food remains comparatively low.
International trade continues to play a relatively limited role in global TASF supply, especially for developing economies. Although trade volumes have increased, they still account for only about 10 percent of global consumption.
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