Sweden faces a prolonged shortage of domestic beef, with experts predicting the situation could persist for years. The scarcity is attributed to increased competition among slaughterhouses and a decline in livestock numbers. The industry calls for new farmers and a shift towards consuming more parts of the animal, including offal, to address the issue.
Swedish Meat Shortage: A Long-Term Challenge
Swedish Meat Shortage: A Long-Term Challenge
Do you prefer Swedish meat? Offal might become the new norm. The shortage of beef in stores could last for several years, according to researcher Anna Hessle.
"We will face an even greater shortage in the future," she says.
Warnings from grocery stores and farmers about the lack of Swedish beef have been frequent. It's no coincidence, according to Anna Hessle, an associate professor at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
"There is a shortage relative to what people want to buy—people want to buy Swedish beef, but it's not available in stores. On the other end, slaughterhouses compete for the available livestock, outbidding each other with higher prices."
Swedish beef can meet just over half of Sweden's demand. The rest is imported beef, mainly from Europe, where it is also scarce.
Meanwhile, the latest annual figures from the Swedish Board of Agriculture show a slight increase in slaughter in Sweden. However, Anna Hessle attributes this to increased slaughter of heifers and cows, as farmers are quitting or no one wants to buy the animals.
"The female animals slaughtered today could have had calves next year, but those calves will not be born, leading to a shortage in three years."
Years in the Making
Cows are pregnant for just under a year, and depending on the intended use of the calf, it takes varying amounts of time before the animal is slaughtered. Therefore, the shortage could worsen in the coming years.
"Something must be done to reverse the trend. Overall, this is a long-term business," says Anna Hessle.
The explanation for the shortage dates back several years. Many animals were slaughtered after the extreme heat in 2018. Then came cost increases with the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Food prices have risen since, but revenues have long failed to cover expenses.
The industry organization Svenskt Kött highlights that this has complicated generational transitions, leading some farms to shut down instead. The meat shortage is also due to reduced milk production.
"This has led to fewer calves and thus reduced meat production," says CEO Isabel Moretti.
Eating Offal
Anna Hessle agrees on the need for farmers.
"What we need to maintain volumes is to get new farmers. It's the farmers who are in short supply."
In times of meat shortage, Svenskt Kött is working towards the future of food, where Isabel Moretti encourages eating more of the animal.
"We've been quite spoiled, so to speak, in being able to choose what we like or not. Compared to other countries, we don't eat much offal, for example—are there things we can do, can we have a more modern way of preparing offal?"