We don’t know the names of these two animals. They are two of the 52 million in Germany, 240 million in the EU, and 1.5 billion pigs worldwide [17] that are slaughtered each year. About nine square meters of farmland are needed to produce the concentrated feed made from grains, corn, and soybeans for each kilogram of pork. [18]
Our 2,000 m² therefore provide just enough feed to fatten two pigs to the standard slaughter weight of 115 kg. This doesn’t even cover the annual pork consumption of six EU citizens (40 kg each [19]). This makes it clear why many people cannot make do with just 2,000 m². Our two pigs may be fed antibiotics as many as five times during their short lives. [20] Incidentally, according to the EU Animal Welfare Directive [21], a staggering 2,000 adult pigs could be kept on our field—one per square meter.
Globally, meat consumption is still on the rise. Over the past 50 years, it has more than tripled, from just over 110 million metric tons to 350 million metric tons. Per-capita consumption, however, varies. How much meat we eat remains an individual choice. In India, for example, meat consumption has barely increased.
Huge differences: Meat consumption has risen in recent decades in many, but not all, regions of the world. The figures in kilograms refer to the live weight at the time of slaughter. [22]
