In this piece, we will take a look at the fifteen countries that produce the best beef in the world. For more countries, head on over to 5 Countries that Produce the Best Beef in the World.
Due to its relatively lower cost, taste, and nutritional content, beef is one of the most popular meats on the planet. As a term, beef covers eight different cuts of meat of a bovine animal. The most commonly eaten bovine is a cow or a bull, and these cuts are the Loin, Round, Plate, Rib, Brisket, Chuck, Flank, and Shank. Naturally, the meat that you eat in a stake is often of a smaller portion, as most eateries rarely serve a full shank. However, the full sized pieces of these cuts can be bought at supermarkets and meat shops.
An Analysis of the Beef Industry
While it might not be evident on the surface, the beef industry is one of the largest in the world – and one which is worth hundreds of billions of dollars. In fact, according to research from the firm Grand View Market Research, the global beef industry was worth $467 billion in 2021. From this, the firm believes that the industry will grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.8% and be worth an estimated $712.5 billion by the end of 2030. Grand View explains that like other several other industries, the coronavirus pandemic also disrupted the beef industry. A slowdown in global shipping resulted in market shortages that ended up increasing the price of meat. It also adds that several factors will drive the growth of the beef industry moving forward.
These include an increasing preference for high preference meats among consumers, growing disposable income for consumers in regions such as Latin America and Asia Pacific, higher demand for ready to made meats, more people looking to cook at home, and the food industry also choosing more beef for its products. In geographical terms, the Asia Pacific segment is expected to remain the largest beef consumer, after accounting for nearly half, or 47.8%, of the market in 2021. Surprisingly though, North American growth will outpace the overall market, with the region accounting for a 5.4% CAGR over the forecast time period. Grand View Market Research explains that the growth in North America will be driven by several unique factors, such as a growing sophistication of production methods and a strong genetics and animal healthcare market.
In terms of global beef consumption, data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) states that beef represented 24% of the world’s meat consumption, with the United States Department of Agriculture adding that in 2020, the world consumed a whopping 130 billion pounds of beef. The U.S. was the largest beef consumer, accounting for 21% of the market share and outpacing China despite the latter’s large population. The Chinese stood at number two, as they accounted for 16% of global beef consumption with the supranational body, the European Union, coming in at a third place.
These strong statistics also lend the beef industry some corporate heavyweights, with a few notable examples being Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE:TSN), JBS S.A. (OTCMKTS:JBSAY), and Australian Agricultural Company Limited (ASX:AAC.AX).
Our Methodology
In order to find out which countries lead the world in terms of beef quality, we consulted several different sources to sift out the regions. Once the countries were listed, they were assigned points based on the source that mentioned them. This led us to calculate a final score, and in the case of a tie, global beef exports were used to separate the contenders. The sources used are AtlasMedia’s Taste Atlas, William Reed’s World Steak Challenge and Rib n Beef Steakhouse, Delusionalbubble. Out of these sources, countries securing a Gold medal in the World Steak Challenge were assigned two points, while those with a Silver medal got a single point. For all other sources, a single point was assigned to each country when it appeared.
To incorporate the opinion of the masses, we also consulted several Reddit (1, 2) and Quora threads and sifted through hundreds of comments to see which countries produce the best beef in the world according to people who commented on these platforms about their opinion on the matter.
Countries That Produce the Best Beef in the World
15. Kingdom of Morocco
Insider Monkey’s Score: 1
Beef Exports in 2021: $28,000
The Kingdom of Morocco, or Morocco, is a North African country. It relies primarily on cars, textiles, and industrial products for its exports and has a GDP per capita of $3,896. At the same time, while Morocco is not a major beef exporting nation (it exported a mere $28,000 of beef in 2021) the region is known for some great beef.
14. Republic of Kenya
Insider Monkey’s Score: 1
Beef Exports in 2021: $5.7 million
The Republic of Kenya is an African country, which has a GDP per capita of $6,122. The country relies primarily on agricultural exports to earn its foreign exchange. Beverages are Kenya’s largest exports, with tea being the dominant product followed by coffee. When it comes to meat, sheep and goat meat take the largest share. However, beef also plays a central role in Kenya’s culture, with a beef dish being its national cuisine.
13. Republic of Türkiye
Insider Monkey’s Score: 1
Beef Exports in 2021: $8.9 million
The Republic of Türkiye, commonly known as Turkey, is a European and Asian country with a strong cultural and historical background. Turkey’s strong culture also lends it a vibrant beef industry, with the country having several unique dishes such as the Donair (also its national dish) to its name. At the same time, Turkey is also growing its meat production, and according to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), beef production grew by 7.4% to sit at 1.2 million tons in 2019.
12. Hungary
Insider Monkey’s Score: 1
Beef Exports in 2021: $16 million
Hungary is a landlocked Central European country. It has a highly industrialized economy, which is dominated by car production and associated spare parts and equipment. Its agricultural industry is an interesting mix of large and medium sized cattle and dairy farms. Research has discovered that while the smaller dairy farms are more efficient in production than the smaller cattle farms, the trend reversed for medium farms, where the cattle farms are more efficient than their dairy counterparts.
11. Republic of Austria
Insider Monkey’s Score: 1
Beef Exports in 2021: $116 million
The Republic of Austria is a European country made up of nine different states and a GDP per capita of $64,750. Animal and cattle farming is a central part of Austria since more than half of its agricultural land is farmland. Beef and farming in Austria is not dominated by large companies, with small farmers playing the dominant role in the industry. Additionally, a large proportion of Austrian farms are also organically kept, which lends them higher quality (and higher priced) output.
10. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Insider Monkey’s Score: 1
Beef Exports in 2021: $141 million
The UK is a prosperous European nation that is made up of Ireland, Wales, Britain, and Scotland – a crucial mix when it comes to beef. Beef from both Scotland and Northern Ireland surfaced during our research, lending the U.K. a strong air of quality. British beef is particularly known for the high welfare standards that are used in its production, with the animals primarily being grass fed and naturally grown without the use of hormones. Similarly, Scotland’s Scotch Beef is bred with naturally suckled calves. Finally, Scotland’s Angus beef is one of the most famous beef varieties in the world.
9. Kingdom of Spain
Insider Monkey’s Score: 1
Beef Exports in 2021: $240 million
The land of the bullfighters, the Kingdom of Spain, is also present on our list of the world’s best beef producing countries. Spain has several different kinds of beef, such as the Carne de la Sierra de Guadarrama, Ternera de Los Pirineos Catalanes, Carne de Morucha de Salamanca, Ternera de Navarra, Carne de Ávila, and Ternera Gallega. These are produced all over the country and differ in terms of their diet, color, and fat content.
8. Oriental Republic of Uruguay
Insider Monkey’s Score: 1
Beef Exports in 2021: $1.9 billion
The Oriental Republic of Uruguay is a Latin American country that is one of the most progressive countries in the region and among the most peaceful nations in the world. Beef is Uruguay’s largest export, and accounts for more than 10% of the mix, as is also evident by the $1.9 billion of exports in 2021 that made the country the world’s sixth largest beef exporter. At the same time, it is also the world’s second largest beef consumer.
7. Portuguese Republic
Insider Monkey’s Score: 2
Beef Exports in 2021: $9.3 million
The Portuguese Republic, or Portugal, is a Southwestern European country with a GDP per capita of $42,067. Despite playing a small role in global beef exports, Portugal has a host of different beef varieties. These include the Carne Cachena da Peneda, Carne Mertolenga, Carne Arouquesa, Vitela de Lafõe, and Carne Barrosã. These differ based on their breed and location, with several breeds being uniquely Portuguese.
6. Commonwealth of Australia
Insider Monkey’s Score: 2
Beef Exports in 2021: $4.1 billion
The Commonwealth of Australia is an Oceanic country known for its strong agricultural sector. This naturally makes Australia one of the largest beef exporters on the planet as well, with its total exported beef being worth $4.1 billion in 2021 – the third largest in the world. Australia also has several large cattle stations, as well as big beef production companies such as the Australian Agricultural Company Limited (ASX:AAC.AX) and North Australian Pastoral Company (NAPCO).
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Disclosure: None. 15 Countries That Produce the Best Beef in the World is originally published on Insider Monkey.
