Learn Italian: Il consumatore moderno compra sempre meno carne. - The modern consumer buys less and less meat.

While sempre usually means "always," putting it before meno (less) or più (more) expresses a gradual, ongoing change. So, sempre meno is the standard Italian way to express the progressive degree "less and less" or "increasingly less."

Carne is a feminine noun. Why doesn't meno change its ending to match?

Meno is an invariable word, meaning it never changes its ending. Whether it is modifying a masculine, feminine, singular, or plural noun, it always stays exactly as meno.

Why isn't there an article before carne, like della carne or la carne?

Because meno acts as a quantity word here. When you use words that specify an amount (like molto, poco, più, or meno) directly before a noun, you generally drop the article. You just say meno carne (less meat), similar to how we say it in English.

Is there a specific reason moderno comes after the noun instead of before it?

This follows the general Italian rule where objective, classifying, or descriptive adjectives (like moderno) go after the noun. Placing it after the noun categorizes the exact type of consumer, rather than just adding a subjective flair.