FAO study finds global meat supply quadrupled in six decades amid uneven distribution | Report

The global supply of terrestrial animal source food (TASF), driven mainly by egg, poultry and pig meat, has expanded significantly over the past six decades, making livestock one of the fastest-growing components of the agricultural sector. The findings appear in a new study by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), according to a press release. The report, titled Drivers of supply and demand of terrestrial animal source food, was released on June 5, 2026, from Rome. It provides a science-based assessment of the livestock sector’s role in food security, nutrition, and sustainable agrifood systems. The study also identifies key knowledge gaps across production systems of all scales.

The report covers integrated crop–livestock systems, specialized livestock operations, grazing systems, pastoralism, wildlife farming, and hunting. It examines global supply and demand for TASF, which includes products derived from mammals, birds, and insects. Between 1961 and 2022, poultry meat showed the most pronounced growth, increasing approximately five-fold. Eggs and pig meat nearly doubled in the same period. Bovine meat, by contrast, remained stable or declined in many regions.

By 2022, global meat production reached 361 million tonnes, up from around 71 million tonnes in 1961, while milk output rose to 930 million tonnes from approximately 342 million tonnes, and egg production climbed to 94 million tonnes from about 15 million tonnes. Data on insect consumption remain limited, with most evidence coming from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, where around 1,900 species are consumed as food. Asia is now the largest producer of TASF, followed by Europe. However, per capita supply remains highest in Northern America. In sub-Saharan Africa, per capita supply has remained largely stagnant, with limited gains such as milk in Kenya and poultry in South Africa.

Food loss and waste exacerbate these disparities, with roughly 14 percent of TASF lost or wasted globally, often due to perishability and inadequate cold chain infrastructure. International trade still accounts for only about 10 percent of global consumption.

“The many breeds and species of livestock on our planet can thrive in a wide range of environments, particularly in areas less suited or unsuitable for crop production, and contribute to a wide variety of healthy diets,” FAO Deputy Director-General Godfrey Magwenzi and FAO Chief Economist Máximo Torero wrote in the report’s Foreword.

They added that the livestock sector must address a range of challenges to optimize its contribution to human and planetary health. The report also notes that higher-fat meat and dairy products are frequently more accessible and affordable than healthier alternatives.

The challenges identified span environmental pressures such as deforestation, land-use change, greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, and competition between food and feed. They also include herd management issues such as low productivity, overgrazing, and poor animal welfare. Animal health concerns and broader social challenges, including inequity, are highlighted alongside risks tied to human–livestock interactions. These risks include zoonotic and foodborne diseases as well as antimicrobial resistance. The report concludes that addressing these gaps is essential for aligning the livestock sector with sustainable agrifood systems.