Evolution of food consumption patterns at global level over the last five decades

Abstract

The promotion of healthy diets and lifestyles plays an important role in increasing the quality of life, in increasing the life expectancy of the population, in reducing the general morbidity and mortality. The agriculture and food industry sectors have a decisive importance in ensuring the supply of food goods, but equally important are other economic factors that condition the food consumption (population income level, price level, volume and quality of food service supply, habits / opportunities of consumption, preferences and believes, cultural traditions and so on). This article presents some of the main changes registered by the food consumption patterns at global level during the last half of the century. The main chapters of the food consumption patterns considered are the following: the evolution of energetic expression of food consumption, trends in fat consumption, consumption of animal products tendencies, availability and consumption of fish, availability and consumption of fruits and vegetables, the evolution and forecasting of prices. In the concluding chapter is presented also the general expectation regarding food availability and consumption until 2030. The data used here are published by different specialized international institutions like FAO, WHO, WTO or others.