Vegetarianism in on the rise in New Zealand, a recent Roy Morgan Research has revealed. The proportion of vegetarian Kiwis has increased by 27 percent since 2011, especially among 14-34 year-olds, North Islanders (up 32 percent, from 8.4 to 11.1 percent) and men (up 63 percent, from 5.7 to 9.3 percent). On the contrary, figures showed a drop among 35-49 year-olds (now 8.1 percent) and only 7.8 percent of South Islanders said the food they eat is all, or almost all, vegetarian.
As more Kiwis embrace a vegetarian lifestyle, supermarkets and suppliers must keep pace with the new trends, said John La Rosa, general manager client services, ANZ Roy Morgan Research.
“Our research shows that vegetarians are well over twice as likely as the average Kiwi to avoid dairy foods whenever possible or to try to buy only organic food,” said La Rosa. “New Zealand is a meat-loving and meat-producing country, and many vegetarians do still buy meat, whether for themselves or their families. In fact, almost half of NZ’s vegetarian grocery buyers purchase some form of fresh meat during the week. Supermarkets in particular will need to ensure they can cater to these vegetarian meat-buyers, providing organic, humanely sourced and trustworthy options.”
