Source:  Dani Friedland, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 3/7/11

Poultry will account for 60 percent of the rising world demand for meat in the next decade, overtaking pork as the world’s most popular meat by 2020.

The prediction comes from a GIRA report cited by the National Chicken Council in its Washington Report. GIRA is an international meat consultancy based in Ferney-Voltaire, France.

According to the forecast, global demand for animal protein will see an increase of 40 million metric tons in the next decade. That figure accounts for about 14 percent of the current total, and about 24 of those 40 tons will be poultry meat.

Poultry meat is forecast to grow at twice the rate of pork. Americans eat twice the world average of poultry currently, the report says.

GIRA credits poultry’s relatively low consumer price (compared to beef and pork) with the increase. The U.S., South America, Russia, the Middle East and China will see the strongest growth in poultry demand.

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