Meat consumption dropped ~12% in the past 5 years. Yes, the economy plays a role, but there's another big change that Mark Bittman picks out in this column from today's New York Times:

It’s not the non-existent federal War on Meat that’s making a difference. And even if availability is down, it’s not as if we’re going to the supermarket and finding empty meat cases and deli counters filled with coleslaw.

...

Some are choosing to eat less meat for all the right reasons. The Values Institute at DGWB Advertising and Communications just named the rise of “flexitarianism” — an eating style that reduces the amount of meat without “going vegetarian” — as one of its top five consumer health trends for 2012.

More at the Times.

Sirloin Dinner via °Florian