Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
movement of foods across greater distances via railroad and steamship (Clark 2000).
The cultivation of tomatoes is an example of advanced technology paired with trans-
portation. Tomatoes were once a seasonal luxury but are now a common interna-
tional food choice due to applied agricultural science and an extended transportation
system. Similarly, tomatoes and tomato-based products such as ketchup, tomato
sauce, and tomato paste are available on the worldwide market (Pyke 1972, Scapp
and Seitz 1998, p. 299). Food distribution has ultimately supported the mixing of
cultural foods, allowing countries thousands of miles apart to sample each other's
cuisine without having actual contact with one another (Nabkasorn et al. 2006, pp.
179 -184).
Canning, packaging, mechanical refrigeration, and the use of additives and pre-
servatives have increased the shelf life of many food products. Food stability has
allowed producers to focus on another aspect of food production: increasing product
variety, a factor influencing food choices. Technological advancements in food pro-
duction are still occurring and are driven by consumer demand for convenient, pack-
aged goods. The number of varieties of food products introduced into the national
market is a reflection of this demand. In the United States alone, the number of novel
products entering the marketplace has risen annually since the 1990s and hit a record
high of 20,031 food and beverage products introduced in 2006 (Martinez 2007).
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Food security is a global issue that affects millions of people in both impoverished
and affluent countries worldwide and ultimately affects their ability to choose appro-
priate foods for survival. A variety of factors—income, age, gender, education level,
cooking ability, and access to food—are responsible for the economic influences on
culture and customs. The interrelationship between cultural values and beliefs along
with personal skill sets and income all interact to produce variations in food choices
(Johns 1990).
Socioeconomic status influences the quality and quantity of food choices. Present-
day societies continue to focus on food as one of the motivators for economic devel-
opment. However, food as an incentive for economic development is more potent
in poorer societies, where a higher percentage of income is used to acquire foods
(Counihan 1999). In these societies, complex carbohydrates (grains) are relied on
more heavily as a dominant source of nutrients as they are more affordable and eas-
ily accessible (Drewnowski 1997).
In wealthier countries, economic stability and food abundance have given humans
the luxury to choose foods they
wish
to consume. As incomes grow, there is a gen-
eral transition toward more palatable foods that are high in fat and sugar and low
in complex carbohydrates, which are often dense in energy and lacking in nutri-
ents (Drewnowski 1997). This abundance of high-energy food choices has allowed
Western societies to easily meet—and exceed—their nutritional needs.
In industrialized societies, the types of foods eaten and the way they are obtained
may be used to identify economic status. The value placed on food technology is sim-
ilar to the value of money that permeates Western societies (Pyke 1972). Wealthier
people are of a higher social class and tend to favor the selection of tastier, higher
