Argentina is a very poor performer under the VACI, largely due to the extremely high proportion of land based animal protein in the Argentinian diet.
Argentina is a very poor performer under the VACI, largely due to the extremely high proportion of land based animal protein in the Argentinian diet.
Argentina slaughters on average around 21.4 land based animals per person / per year, which is more than double the global average of 9.7. Argentinian cows are traditionally grass-fed, but there is a recent trend towards intensification. A 2015 USDA Report stated that 70-80% of cows are now “finished off” in intensive feed lots. Worldwatch cites Argentina as a country where factory farming of pigs and poultry is expanding.
Argentina is one of the biggest animal-eating countries on the planet, with around 64.5% of the average Argentinian diet being made up of land-based animal protein. This is almost double the global average of 35.2%. According to a 2016 Appetite journal article, vegetarians or vegans accounted for only 1-2% of the population as at 2014.
Argentina was given a “D” under the Animal Protection Index (API), and is a moderate performer under the Sanctioning Cruelty category. This is largely due to the quality of its farm animal welfare legislation, its enforcement of those laws, and its incorporation of international animal welfare standards into its domestic laws. Learn more about the quality of Argentina’s legislative protections on the API here.