France Plant-Based Meat Market Overview, 2026

France is the EU’s largest agricultural producing country, while its organic food and beverage market is already the third largest in the world. According to a report from the French Research Institute from 1970 to 2020, the French per capita consumption of pig meat amounted to 31.5 kg in 2020 and the consumption of poultry meat to 27.7 kg, out of a total of 84.4 kilograms of meat. In France, meat-free eating habits seem to represent a minor part of dietary behaviour in France. Vegetarians comprised 1.5 percent of men and 2.8 percent of women in 2018.Although the omnivore diet was the dominant one, about 40 percent of the people surveyed followed a flexitarian diet. Moreover, 40 percent of French people were in favour of introducing vegetarian meals in catering services like canteens, restaurants, etc. Furthermore, more than half of the French interviewed supported the idea of vegetarian meals at school catering at least once a week.These statistics show that animal-based meat consumption is being replaced by plant-based meat products gradually over time. Super markets such as Carrefour and Intermarche are emphasizing their focus towards plant based meat products. Thus, French people are making changes to their eating patterns and trends towards plant-based meat.

According to the report title “France Plant-based Meat Market Overview, 2026” the plant-based meat market in Brazil is expected to grow by over 12% during the forecast period ending in 2026. France has the European region's smallest share of the plant-based meat market.Previous growth trends were not as strong as they are now because consumers were not aware of these concepts.Soy is the most selected option as a source in the formation of plant-based meat products and is widely used. Wheat is the second preferred choice as the main source that has nearly 33% market share. However, with the consumer's demand for more healthy ingredients, pea and other grains like hazelnut, oats, beans, nuts, and other types of seeds are increasingly being tried as the main source for plant-based meat products. Plant-based sausages are the most widely consumed alternative meat by the French, while burger patties constitute about 30% of the market share of all the plant-based products. Other types of plant-based meat like turkey and lamb are consumed occasionally, which forms a market demand of about 10% of the market share.

Peak meat consumption per capita was noted in 1998 between the periods of 1986 to 2002, with a minimum consumption, on average, of 90 kilogram per inhabitant per year. However, since the beginning of the 2000s, meat consumption has decreased in French households. A more recent survey from 2019 revealed that 38 percent of French people ate meat (pig, beef, etc.) three to five times a week. For 57 percent of those polled, the consumption of poultry meat was limited to once or twice a week. The fact that consumers were unaware of the benefits and drawbacks of meat-based products was a major factor in their high consumption in the 1990s.

A major factor in the growth of the plant-based industry, especially in France, is the increased individual attention of the consumer. This is mainly due to the upcoming generation and the consistent increase of the flexitarian consumer. The flexitarian’s alternative consumption could take the form of specific substitutes or meat-free meal choices. The other major factor is due to health-related issues associated with more consumption of red meat. French people are facing obesity problems, diabetes, etc. at all ages and it is increasing among the elderly also. Due to this, veganism is being adopted there. Another important factor contributing to the adoption of plant-based meat over animal-based meat products is increasing cruelty towards animals to overcome the rising demand for animal-based meat products. Through various digital means, the information is being circulated all over the world and people are becoming aware of its social impact and thus switching to veganism. Many influencers across various platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube are promoting veganism. For example, an Instagram influencer named Lloyd Lang with 110K+ followers and an engagement rate of 2.60% is promoting veganism.

The pulses, such as chickpeas and lentils, contain a huge proportion of necessary proteins and amino acids, thus aiding the growth of plant-based meat products further. Yet, the central place of meat in a dish among French consumers may be a barrier to replacing meat with pulses. With modern innovative technologies coming up nowadays, high protein grains could be used as a vital source for making plant-based meat products, dairy products, and seafood alternatives. Soy, peas, wheat, and many other vegan substances with content rich in proteins, minerals, vitamins, high in fibres and amino acids can be cooked to produce plant-based meat with similar aesthetics, taste, and feel to animal-based meat products.

France has adopted a climate law, introducing a series of measures that impact the agricultural sector, including the reduction of nitrogen-based fertilisers and encouraging more vegetarian menus in school canteens. The plant-based meal programme aims to set new sustainable food standards in France and introduce plant-based food at an early stage to kids. One of the major restricting factors is the price of the plant-based meat engineered product. Currently, in various options, a few animal-based products can be purchased for the price of one plant-based meat product. The French people are mainly omnivores and flexitarian types, so growth is estimated to be exponential with new innovative, good-quality products launched with recent advancements in technology. Moreover, an efficient strategy for distribution of these plant-based products should be ensured for timely delivery to consumers through food retails, supermarkets, and HoReCa.

Individual health awareness and the COVID pandemic actually had a positive impact on plant-based meat in France. Consumers began trying out artificial meats and, by 2021, once a week at least, meat will not be served in schools and colleges. The pandemic made consumers more aware of the alternative options available in the market, and the manufacturers were also ready to take on the market share due to the situation raised.

Considered in this report

• Geography: France
• Base year: 2020
• Estimated year: 2021
• Forecast year: 2026

Aspects covered in this report

• France plant-based meat products market with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Five force models
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

By source

• Soy
• Pea
• Wheat
• Others (Oat, Walnut, Hazelnut, Pea, nuts etc.)

Types of meat products

• Burger Pattie
• Sausages
• Strips & Nuggets
• Meatballs
• Others

By type

• Beef
• Chicken
• Pork
• Fish
• Other (Lamb, Turkey)

By end-user

• Retail
• HoReCa

The approach of the report

This report consists of a combined approach of primary as well as secondary research. Initially, secondary research was used to get an understanding of the market and listing out the companies that are present in the market. The secondary research consists of third-party sources such as press releases, annual report of companies, analyzing the government generated reports and databases. After gathering the data from secondary sources primary research was conducted by making telephonic interviews with the leading players about how the market is functioning and then conducted trade calls with dealers and distributors of the market. Post this we have started doing primary calls to consumers by equally segmenting consumers in regional aspects, tier aspects, age group, and gender. Once we have primary data with us we have started verifying the details obtained from secondary sources.

Intended audience

This report can be useful to industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations & organizations related to plant-based meat industry, government bodies and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing & presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.