Say no cheese: Europe’s dairy demands falling amid preference for plant foods

A mixture of rising prices and increasing competition from plant-based alternatives is leading consumers to think twice before restocking milk, cheese and ice cream. — dpa

DAIRY sales in Europe have been dropping while people look to plant-based alternatives, a shift that could see the continent’s cheesemakers look to other markets, according to new research by Rabobank.

The Rabobank report follows recent shifts in established markets: sales of plant-based “cheese” in Europe increased by 21% from 2020 to 2022, according to a 2023 report by Good Food Institute Europe.