Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
fats, pulses, and root crops declined during this time period. Overall, globalization
opened markets for products, and many farmers were able to capitalize on these
changes by supplying a wide variety of products in growing and evolving markets.
The global increase in calorie availability has led to excess food consumption
in many developed countries. Consumers in these countries, principally the United
States, Canada, and the European Union, are struggling with the health conse-
quences of this high level of food consumption. Calorie availability for people in
these areas increased 9% between 1970 and 2005, reaching an average of more than
3400 calories per day (Figure 22.2). This level of availability far exceeds the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommended range of 2000 to 2800 calories
for a moderately active adult (USDA, 2005). The cereals' share of the developed
country diet has changed little over time—remaining just below 40% (Figure 22.3).
Meat now holds the second largest share of the diet at more than 12%, marking a
more than 30% increase in share since 1970. Fruits increased at an even greater rate,
but this category remains small with less than a 4% share of the developed country
diet. Two of the bigger developments with respect to shares of these diets were actu-
ally decreases. The largest decrease was for animal fats, whose share fell more than
80% to roughly 1% in 2005. This decline clearly reflects the influence of research on
adverse health effects, such as cardiovascular disease and obesity, associated with
consumption of these fats. The other large decline, more than 20%, occurred in the
share of sugar, which fell from 13.4% in 1970 to 10.4% in 2005. This decline is likely
due to the increased use of sugar substitutes such as high-fructose corn syrup and
artificial sweeteners such as saccharin and aspartame.
In developing countries, the key factors that influenced diets were income growth
and urbanization. The rates of urbanization in developing countries were two to
three times higher than their population growth. Urbanization usually coincided
with increased incomes, which in turn influenced diets, often leading to increased
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
1970
2005
Developed countriesDeveloping countries
fIguRe 22.2
Calorie availability: developed versus developing countries.
