Sweden Faces Escalating Beef Shortage Amidst Animal Welfare Concerns

Sweden is grappling with a growing shortage of beef caused by a decline in cattle and producers, a situation traced back to the drought of summer 2018. The drought led to feed shortages, causing many farmers to leave the industry and forcing a reduction in beef supply. Currently, producer prices have surged to 94 SEK per kilogram, more than doubling since 2020 when prices were around 42 SEK per kilogram.

This scarcity has sparked fierce competition among slaughterhouses for available cattle, which has extended transport distances for the animals. Researcher Josefine Jerlström of SLU highlights that transport durations are pushing close to the regulatory limit of eight hours and come with animal welfare costs. An analysis of over 300,000 cows slaughtered between 2020 and 2022 found that more than 9% suffered chronic injuries on farms, while 1% incurred acute injuries during transport or at slaughterhouses. These injuries contribute significantly to food waste, with damaged meat representing 34% of beef discarded in that period.

The industry faces the dual challenge of improving animal welfare — through better management, suitable equipment, and staff working conditions — and boosting profitability. Still, signs of recovery emerge as numbers of slaughtered cattle are decreasing, and farmers appear to retain more cows to secure future herds. Nevertheless, with calves needing 1.5 to 2 years to reach slaughter weight, the beef supply shortage is unlikely to ease soon.

Addressing these issues is critical for both animal welfare and the stabilization of beef availability in Sweden.