Exam 3 Review Flashcards
What are the three reasons for delicacies and taboos?
- Evolution: individual protection (ex: Kuru prion disease)
- Ecology: (for conservation purposes) resource scarcity/abundance and resource partitioning/protection
- Culture: group identification (belonging)
How does diet form during infancy/utero?
- A lot of what our mother consumes affects what we eat/like/taste during utero/infancy because of the exposure it provides (good/bad)
- receptors = desensitized, it takes more for us to taste
- false promises from heavily marketed functional foods, ex: formula/baby food
- breast milk provides a “flavor bridge” for fruits and veggies
How is our palate influenced by place?
Taste sensitivity and spice use
- sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami
- spice used as wealth, micronutrients, antimicrobials (used in hotter climates)
What are “thrifty genes”?
- certain genetic factors have evolved in populations due to historical patterns of food scarcity and limited resources
- in environments where food was historically scarce or where there were periods of famine, individuals with specific genetic traits that allowed them to store and efficiently use energy had a survival advantage
- they helped individuals conserve and make the most of the available calories during times of food shortage
What was the conclusion made about the Pima Indians?
There was a lower prevalence of Type 2 diabetes and obesity in Pima Indians from MX than the US which indicates that the development of these diseases is due to environmental circumstances, meaning they are preventable.
Red Snapper controversy
- it is a Cryptic species meaning there are other species (rock fish) that look very similar but they have different DNA which can lead to unintentional mislabeling
- negatives include: Black mkt profit, shipment errors, resource scarcity
- this issue undermines conservation efforts
- we can change our diet or devise a labeling scheme
Northern vs Plains Leopard Frog Controversy
- not a human mal-intent to mix up the two species
Causes of amphibian decline
- habitat loss & degradation (conversion of agriculture)
- environmental contamination/pollution
- global climate change
-disease & pathogens - invasive species
- overharvesting for consumption
Issues with amphibian decline
- frogs are a biological pest control and without them, places like India/ Indonesia are at a loss of an ecosystem service due to our overharvesting
- 54.4 million are exported annually = 200,000 tons of pests
What are the consequences of farming frogs?
- diseases in herds
- CAFO, large numbers of animals confined to small space
What is the culture vs. conservation argument?
- culture: essential for maintaining a community’s identity and heritage, passing down traditions to future generations, and fostering a sense of belonging
- conservation: essential for maintaining the ecological balance, preventing the extinction of species, and safeguarding the environment for future generations
What is the influence of affluence on preferences?
- affluence affects how we define delicacies
- affluence affects quantity and diversification
What drives the demand for high-value animal protein? Compare American and Chinese meat consumption per capita.
- high-value animal protein = meat/milk products
- more affluence = more high-value animal protein bc we have the resources to buy it now
- urbanization: we have more refrigeration/electricity to store the foods
- increasing population = more consumption
- we have space for cattle unlike China
- While China has a large population, they do not consume as much meat as US does as the US eats more in general minus cereals and vegetables. China eats more variety than the US does in terms of meat, vegetables, cereals.
What are the environmental footprints of different dietary patterns?
- look at energy use, water use, land use, and GHG emissions
- the mediterranean diet uses less overall and the western diet has the largest footprint
- the spanish diet lies between the two
Externality formula
Externality = Cost - Price
