BRUSSELS (AP) -- Bye-bye boeuf bourguignon, au revoir camembert.
Europeans will be cutting back on meat and high-end cheese over the next few years, the European Commission said Tuesday -- and not because they value their waistlines.
The EU's executive said economic recession will cause Europeans to cut back on costly beef, lamb and cheese over the next two to three years.
But it said chicken and pork should sell well thanks to competitive prices compared to other meat and strong consumer preference.
It expects beef consumption to drop 1 percent this year from 2008 -- but says farming cutbacks in Europe will increase beef imports by nearly two-thirds by 2015.
Cheese demand will grow slightly this year from last year, it said, warning that purchases of high-end dairy products will likely fall as incomes drop.
The EU's agricultural outlook report said lower oil prices could also hurt energy crops such as oilseeds used to make biodiesel.
It also said that tight access to credit and falling land prices could damage farming profits as food prices decrease in the short-term.
