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Changing
Structure of Global Food Consumption and Trade
Anita
Regmi
Cooperative
Agricultural Research Program
Seminar Series
Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN
November 13, 2002
Higher
income, urbanization, other demographic shifts, improved transportation,
and consumer perceptions regarding quality and safety are changing
global food consumption patterns. Shifts in food consumption have led
to increased trade and changes in the composition of world agricultural
trade. Given different diets, food expenditure and food budget responses
to income and price changes vary between developing and developed
countries. In developing countries, higher income results in increased
demand for meat products, often leading to increased import of livestock
feed. Diet diversification and increasing demand for better quality and
laborsaving products have increased imports of high-value and processed
food products in developed countries. Consumers in developed countries
are also increasingly demanding food produced by processes friendly to
the environment and consistent with animal welfare. While changing
demand among consumers in developed countries will shape future food
trade laws, increases in future food trade will largely be accounted by
diet changes and increased demand among developing countries.
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