Review
Eating patterns and food systems: critical knowledge requirements for policy design and implementation
1 INRA Paris, 147 rue de l’université, 75 338, Paris, Cedex 07 France
2 INRA Toulouse, 24 Chemin de Borde Rouge, CS 52627, , 31326 Castanet Tolosan, Cedex, France
Agriculture & Food Security 2012, 1:13 doi:10.1186/2048-7010-1-13
Published: 3 September 2012Abstract
Eating patterns are important for building sustainable food and agricultural systems. This paper begins by presenting the main features of eating patterns worldwide. These eating patterns include the relative convergence of diets, more rapid food transition in emerging and developing countries, development of a more complex food chain, and substantial food losses and waste at distribution and final consumption stages. These patterns have negative consequences on health and the environment. The drivers of these patterns are examined to identify knowledge gaps, the filling of which should facilitate the design and implementation of actions and policies aimed at making food systems more sustainable.
