Consumption Patterns Paper

Essay by ajschaeferUniversity, Bachelor's December 2006

download word file, 3 pages 4.7

Global meat consumption and trade patterns (Gale Group 2204) have changed drastically over the last 20 years. Most of these changes have been the result of changes in lifestyles, incomes and health concerns. The world wide meat consumption has been changing dramatically, with better production and stricter government regulations, resulting in a safer quality of meat, leading the way to this change.

Poultry consumption is the fastest growing meat product, with the public putting a greater emphasis on health and the poultry farmers increasing production through better feed efficiency and faster production time, compared to other grain fed animals. Even with this increase in poultry, pork is still the leader with 41% of global meat production, followed by beef at 31%. (US Dept of Agriculture)

On a per capita basis, the United States is the largest consumer of meat, at 118 kg, followed by Hungary, at 96 kg, and Australia, at 106 kg.

Beef has been the traditional source of meat for the US consumer; however from 1975 to 1991 this consumption has dropped by more than 6%. This decline can and has been directly related to the increase in poultry production and consumption.

The article is showing that overall the demand for meat is on the rise. These increases have been for more healthy choices, such as poultry and pork. The changes in demand have been the result of increases in production through better feed efficiency and faster production of the poultry segment. The higher standards of living that have occurred world wide have increased the availability of meat to a greater number of people and countries. Stricter government regulations and better enforcement of these regulations on the meat producers have played a significant role in this increase in world wide sales of meat products.

The trade of meat...