food gw1: changes in food consumption patterns Flashcards
indicators of development
economic
1. gross domestic product (GDP) per capita
-> have a large no. of productive industries coupled with well-developed service industry
2. employment opp
-> availability of jobs in a country
-> employed = income = btr standard of living
social
3. adult literacy rate
-> measures % of those 15 yrs and above who can read and write a short simple statement
-> generates more professionals who can contribute their skills and expertise in driving country’s economy
4. life expectancy
-> refers to average number of years a person born in a country is expected to live
indicators of food consumption
- food consumption per capita
-> avg amt of food a person consumes per yr - total daily calorie intake
-> total no. of calories obtained from food consumed per person each day
-> recommended: 2500-3500 calories - starchy staples as % of all calories
–> staple foods r main part of diet e.g. cereals=wheat,rice
-> have high starch content (carbohydrate, provides energy)
–> non-staples: meat, fruit, vegetables
changing food preferences
the choice of one food type over the other
1. cereals (crops from wheat; declines at higher income)
2. meat (increase in income=increase in meat consumption)
(ppl may consume less red meat due to associated health problems)
3. fruits n vege (increase in income; increased awareness of health benefits)
why do food consumption patterns vary between DCs and LDCs?
economic
1. disposable income
2. pricing
socio-cultural
3. food preferences (fast food n organic food)
4. population growth
political
5, stability of food supply (civil war, natural disasters)
6. food safety
disposable income
- rising income = higher disposable income
- amount of income left to an individual after taxes have been paid
- ppl in dcs generally have higher DI
- increasing in both ldc and dc
- = higher consumption in certain food groups
- different countries with diff levels of disposable income have different food consumption patterns
- more di =more financial ability to consume larger amount and variety of food = more meat, less cereals
- meat consumption associated with wealth and status
- ( for dcs )di rises = quality of diets increase = can afford food that has been found to have certain health benefits which are more ex (organic food, olive oil)
e.g. 20% of increased income spent on food in dcs like new zealand but 60% of increased income spent on food in ldcs like the democratic republic of the congo
pricing
- people in ldcs are generally more affected by food prices because ldcs have lesser disposable income than most in dcs
- effects on ldcs: chronic hunger, poverty, riots, street protests, attempts by the gov to control the price of food
- effect on dcs: not as dramatic; did not cause food riots, but select less expensive options instead
e.g. 2006-2008, food prices rose dramatically worldwide and created a global food crisis –> greatly affected those living in ldcs and unable to afford staple food. dcs were less dramatically affected
food preferences
- concerns about health, income, moral and beliefs and environment, religous reasons influence food preferences and diets
- FAST FOOD: prepared easily and quickly, eaten fast or takeaway
- standardised production and handling process in fast food outlets ensures the consistency of quality of the food served
- convenience + affordable = more people opt to dine
- young adults prefer these cuz attracted to comfortable dining atmos
- globalisation allows ff chains to set up in many ldcs = more people in ldcs patronise these outlets rather than local food stalls
- dcs: less ff consumptions due to increasing awareness of harmful effects on human health -> prepared and processed using large amt of oil, processed meat and chemicals
-ORGANIC FOOD:
food preferences in dcs are increasingly influenced by health concerns abt conventional methods of growing food (risk of cancer from pesticide) - organic food is food grown w/o use of artificial inputs such as chemical fertilisers or growth hormones
- perceived health benefits = more ppl consume
- health considerations include avoidance of potentially harmful pesticides
- shift towards consumption of organically grown fruits in dcs
- organic food more expensive (organic fertilisers, small crop yield, more labour)
fast food e.g.:
1991, india opened its economy to foreign investors and transnational companies like fast food chains from usa like macs and pizza hut
population growth
- key drivers in increasing demand for food
- rates higher in ldcs than dcs due to lack of family planning and a need for farm labour in ldcs
- increasing demand for food is greater in ldcs
stability of food supply
- when safe and nutritious food is available to all people at all times = stable
- there are threats that require gov to take action and increase food supply –> unstable
- may take action either by increasing food production or by increasing food imports
- improve tech = increase crop yield + increase use of agricultural land through opening new areas for agriculture
- ldcs have lower ability to increase food supply; lack access to tech or finances to implement tech on a large scale. dcs have greater access to tech for food production = stability
- food import increase = food supply increase
- dcs increase imports more easily
- ldc less able to deal with fluctuations in food prices; importation of food can be problematic
- CIVIL WAR: cities and area with heavy fighting may have food shortages n water shortages; safety concerns restrict people from venturing out to find or buy food
- NAT DISASTER: dry weather =damages harvest = less crop yield, flood= damages
e.g. civil war in Libya –> food stocks in country depleted and dangerous to go out and buy food
e.g. Zimbabwe severe drought –> destroyed corn harvest = food shortage
food safety
- a system that provides guidelines and ensures proper handling, preparation, transportation and storage of food to prevent food borne diseases= safe for consumption
- gov plays an active role in ensuring food safety: setting food safety standards and ensuring they are met, tracking down contaminated foods that cause outbreaks of foodborne diseases and removing it from shelves
- threats to food safety might come from unexpected events like outbreaks of food borne diseases
e.g. seafood imports from Japan were restricted many months following the contamination of radioactive chemicals in farmland and water resources by sg
impact of inadequate food consumption on individuals and countries
HEALTH
1. malnutrition
2. starvation
ECONOMIC
1. lower productivity
2. food aid and economic aid can cause long term debts
3. diversion of financial resources to health care
POLITICAL
1. social unrest
SOCIAL
1. scavenging
malnutrition
HEALTH
- condition where body does not receive enough nutrients to maintain healthy tissues and organ function –> death
- can lead to long-term development issues –> children fall sick more easily, less weight gain during pregnancy, loss of school or work days
- measured through a person’s weight in relation to gender, height and age
e.g. according to who, malnutrition was the underlying cause of child deaths associated with diarrhoea, pneumonia, malaria and measles in LDCs in 2009
starvation
HEALTH
- extreme hunger from severe lack of food
- extreme form of malnutrition
- body becomes skeletally thin, organs are permanently damaged –> death
- more common in LDCs because of:
1. greater no. of people living in poverty
2. lack or absence of resources to recover from natural disasters
3. unstable political situation such as rebellions and war
e.g. Mali, 2021, 5mil threatened with starvation due to a poor harvest and rebellion
lower productivity
ECONOMIC
- insufficient nutrient intake –> workers more likely to fall sick –> affects production of goods and services –> leads to lower income
- children: loss of school days = loss of edu opps = affects future employment prospects
-ldcs, farmers less innovative or unable to implement improvements to improve farming = lower yields and decrease in intensity of food production = less food supply
e.g. in ldcs such as Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, India, inadequate nutrition intake was found to be associated with lower levels of productivity from a 2011 report by IFPRI
food aid and economic aid can lead to long term debts
ECONOMIC
- food aid and financial aid can be given to people and countries to cope with insufficient food supply
- financial aid, often called tied aid, serves to increase country’s national debt (often LDCs) to DCs
- leads to long term debt problems in receiving countries
