SASS EGeog Food Gateway 1

Subject: Geography Topic: Food Resources Gateway 1: How and why have food consumption patterns changed since the 1960s? _____________________________________________________________________________________ How do food consumption patterns vary between DCs and LDCs over time? • Food: Any nutritious substance consumed by the body • Global food consumption patterns vary over time between: – Developed countries (DCs) – Less developed countries (LDCs) ● Food consumption patterns vary in terms of: – Indicators of food consumption – Changing food preferences Developed countries (DCs) and less developed countries (LDCs) • Classified according to their levels of developments based on a combination of indicators: – Economic indicators o Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita o Employment opportunity – Social indicators o Adult literacy rate o Life expectancy Economic indicators Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita Employment opportunity • The total value of all final goods and services produced by a country in a given year divided by the total population. • The higher the GDP per capita, the more developed a country is likely to be. • Countries with high GDP usually have a large number of productive industries coupled with a well-developed service industry (i.e. schools, hospitals). • The availability of jobs in a country. • More employment opportunities in a country will result in more jobs for the local population. • When people are employed, they will have an income. Thus, their standard of living will improve. Social indicators Adult literacy rate Life expectancy • Measures the percentage of those aged 15 and above who can read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life. • Countries with a high literacy rate tend to generate more professionals who can contribute their skills and expertise in driving the country’s economy. • The higher the adult literacy rate, the more developed a country is. • Refers to the average number of years a person born in a country is expected to live • Influenced by the level and quality of health care, water, sanitation, food supply and living conditions in a country. • An area affected by war, disease, and poverty generally results in • its local population having a lower life expectancy.

● Developed countries (DCs) are countries that rank high across the development indicators mentioned. Example: Australia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, USA ● Less developed countries (LDCs) are countries that rank low or moderate across many or all of the indicators mentioned. Example: Bangladesh, Brazil, Indonesia, Uganda, Myanmar, Cambodia • Countries in either classification are not homogenous, but are different in areas such as: – Scientific and technical capabilities – Economic structure – Social structure – Inequalities of income and wealth • High GDP countries are often, but not always, classified as DCs and low GDP countries are often classified as LDCs Indicators of food consumption • Variations in global food consumption patterns between DCs and LDCs are measured using indicators o Food consumption per capita o Daily calorie intake o Starchy staples as a percentage of all calories o Food consumption per capita – Food consumption per capita: Average amount of food a person consumes per year (in kg per capita per year) – Recorded for individual food groups, e.g. cereals, meat and vegetables – Used to determine changes in food consumption patterns over time – Compared to LDCs, DCs consume higher amounts of meat and vegetables per capita as well as higher amounts of food overall o Daily calorie intake – Daily calorie intake: Energy obtained from food consumed per person each day – Measured in kilocalories – DCs are likely to have a higher daily calorie intake than LDCs – Average amount of food a person requires each day is 2,586 kilocalories o Starchy staples as a percentage of all calories – Staple food: forms the main part of the diet – Supplies a major proportion of a person’s energy and nutrient needs – High in starch, which is the main source of energy intake for both DCs and LDCs – Cereals (e.g. wheat, rice), a type of staple food, are the world’s main source of energy intake for both DCs and LDCs – LDCs to account for about 84.1% of global demand for cereals between 1995 and 2020 – Table below shows the characteristics of staple and non-staple food. Staple/ Non- staple Food groups ● Nutrient characteristics ● Examples of food types

Staple Cereals ● High in carbohydrates ● Low in fat ● Wheat ● Rice Non-staple Meat ● High in protein and fats ● Beef, Chicken, Fish ● Eggs ● Dairy products Fruits and vegetables ● High in vitamins, minerals and fibre ● Low in fat ● Spinach ● Banana ● Apple Changing food preferences o Food preference: Choice of one food type over another o Food preferences change due to a variety of reasons, e.g. increase in income o When a country develops economically and its income per capita increases, the diet changes from crop-based products to meat-based products, e.g. China. Compared to 20 years ago, China now consumes less cereals but more meat, eggs, fish and fruits and vegetables o World food consumption patterns have changed for different food groups, e.g. cereals, meat, fruits, vegetables o Food consumption patterns have changed for different food groups. o Cereals o Meat o Fruits and vegetables o Cereals – Most important food source in the world. Contribute up to: • 50% of global calorie intake • 70% of calorie intake in Africa and parts of Asia • 30% of calorie intake in DCs – Consumption of cereals per capita declines at higher income levels – As income goes up, one type of cereal (i.e. rice) is substituted with another (i.e. wheat) to make bread and noodles, e.g. Japan, China and South Korea o Meat – Livestock: Domesticated animals such as cows, pigs, sheep or chickens from which meat and dairy products are obtained – High in protein – Increase in income is linked with increase in meat consumption

– Demand for livestock has increased since the 1960s due to rising incomes – Livestock consumption in DCs is still high but DCs are starting to consume less red meat due to its link to health problems – Consumption of red meat and milk in LDCs have risen over the years due to rising incomes – Impact: Increased consumption of red meat in LDCs has led to an increase in health problems o Fruits and vegetables – Consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased for both DCs and LDCs – In LDCs, increased consumption is mainly due to increase in incomes, e.g. China, India – In DCs, people became more aware of the health benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption – Example: From 1976 to 2009 in the USA, vegetable consumption increased by 13% and fruit consumption increased by 3% – Reduces risk of diseases, e.g. heart disease, cancer – International organisations promoted its consumption Changing patterns of food consumption between DCs and LDCs may be explained by the following factors: ● Economic o Disposable income o Pricing ● Socio-cultural o Food preferences o Population growth ● Political o Stability of food supply o Food safety Economic: Disposable income o Disposable income: Amount of income left to an individual after taxes have been paid o Disposable income is increasing in DCs and LDCs, although people in DCs generally have more. o Increase has different effects on food consumption patterns. More disposable income means more purchasing power to consume a larger amount and variety of food (e.g. more meat and less cereals) – Example: After Taiwan’s economic growth: ▪ Rice consumption per capita declined by half ▪ Meat consumption increased four times ▪ Fruit consumption increased five times ▪ Fish consumption doubled o When disposable income rises in DCs, the quality of diets tends to increase. People in DCs can afford food that have certain health benefits (generally more expensive), such as organic food and olive oil