Diversity in food consumption: Evidences from urban Kerala

Food is fundamental to human survival and it appears to be the first item of the family budget allocation of all irrespective of class to which they belong. Kerala ranks top among the major States of India in the MPCE on food in the post liberalized era. A perusal of NSS data exhibits that, MPCE of urban Kerala is ahead of the rural for the last few decades, however, a sharp decline is noted in the last decade (2001-2011). Along with an increase in MPCE on food, an increase in food diversity is being expected. The study probe into the extent of food diversity among different income strata of urban Kerala with the unit-level data from NSS 68 consumer expenditure survey. The findings indicate that the share of expenditure on cereal in total food expenditure is high in the low-income class and low in the high-income group. The state of Kerala has high food diversity across all income classes signals a better diet quality of people. It is revealed that food diversity is low in the high and low-income groups compared to middle-income group.

A Study of Insect Diversity in Different Habitats Found in Nearby Locality of Raipur, Chhattisgarh

Insects are most diverse, successful and dominant taxon of the animal kingdom. They are found in almost every habitat across the globe. It is due to their diverse body size, habit, fecundity, different modes of respiration, food diversity etc. Because of these diverse characteristics, they became an important component of our ecosystem. They have significant influence on agriculture, human health and natural resources. This was the main reason for analysing the status of insects’ diversity across Raipur city. During this study various species of insects were collected and identified for estimating the insect species diversity and abundance in the different types of habitats found in Raipur. Insects were collected from various habitats like public park, gardens, fruit & vegetable market, agricultural fields etc. Total 603 species from 38 families, from 10 orders of insects were obtained during the sampling from January2019 to February 2020. The contributions of different orders were as follows: Lepidoptera (6), Coleoptera (6), Hemiptera (6), Hymenoptera (5), Orthoptera (3), Dermaptera (1), Diptera (6), Odonata (3) and Isoptera (1) and Mantodea(1) were collected. Diptera were having highest species diversity which was followed by Hymenoptera. Biodiversity of insects were highest in gardens and agricultural fields. The diverse habitats present in and around Raipur provide a favorable climate for insects.

Perbedaan Keragaman Pangan, Pola Asuh Makan, dan Asupan Zat Gizi Makro pada Balita dari Ibu Bekerja dan Ibu Tidak Bekerja

Background: Toddlers are a group that is vulnerable to experiencing nutritional problems. The nutritional status of toddlers is very dependent on the role of caregivers, especially mothers. Business women have less time together with toddlers so that it will have an impact on mothers' attention to the growth and development of toddlers, child feeding patterns, food diversity, and macro-nutrient intake of toddlers. Research in Padang states that business women have a 1,3 times risk of experiencing malnutrition in children. Purpose: Know the differences in child feeding patterns, food diversity, and macro nutrient intake in toddlers from business women and housewife. Method: The design of this study was an observational analytic with cross sectional approach. The research was conducted on medium socioeconomic housing in Banyumas Regency. The sample are toddlers aged 12-59 months as many as 78 toddlers, taken using total sampling techniques. Data were statistically tested using independent T tests. Results: The results of study showed no differences in child feeding patterns (p = 0.605), food diversity (p = 0.767), energy intake (p = 0.483), protein intake (p = 0.806), fat intake (p = 0.787) and carbohydrate intake (p = 0.337) in toddlers from business women and housewife. Conclusions: There were no differences in child feeding patterns, food diversity, and macro nutrient intake in toddlers from business women and housewife.

Food diversity and consumption of ultra-processed food in the complementary feeding: National Health Survey, Brazil, 2013

Objective: To assess food diversity and absence of consumption of ultra-processed foods in complementary feeding of Brazilian children aged between six and 24 months according to socio-demographic variables. Methods: It is a cross-sectional study that analyzed data from the National Health Survey, 2013. The food diversity and ultra-processed foods consumption were evaluated separately and together. The joint analysis was measured by score, considering the consumption of each food group that constituting food diversity, as well as the absence by each of ultra-processed foods. It was estimated prevalence, means score and confidence intervals (95%). Socio-demographic variables analyzed: gender, race, household situation, macro-regions and household conditions. Results: Of the 3701 eligible children, only 3.8% had nutritional adequacy (food diversity and absence of ultra-processed foods), 48.8 % had food diversity, and 15.7 % did not consume ultra-processed foods. Children with low socioeconomic status had a lower score on the nutritional adequacy and a lower prevalence of food diversity and a higher prevalence of ultra-processed foods consumption. Conclusions: A large portion of Brazilian children have low feeding diversity and consume ultra-processed foods, with inequalities related to the socioeconomic status and macro-region. Public policies and health care actions must consider these differences to reduce the disparities.

ANALISIS KETERSEDIAAN PANGAN KOTA MALANG

The research purposes are analyzing food availability, food procurement diversity, and analyzing target formulation, procurement necessity, and food production in Malang in 2016 - 2019. The analysis used is Food Balance Sheet (FBS) and Food Desirable Dietary Pattern (FDDP). The analysis result shows that the food availability in Malang is dominated by plant food source with 81,75 % of percentages. The total of energy availability value is 2.227 kcal/kap/day and protein 63,77 gram/kap/day. The quality of food availability measured with FDDP is 89,33 which shows that food diversity is not maximal yet. Overall, the food availability energy in Malang has not fulfilled Recommended Dietary Energy (RDE) standard and the protein is more than Recommended Dietary Protein (RDP), in which RDE ideal is 2.400 kcal/kap/day and RDP is 63 gram/kap/day. RDE and RDP of ideal food availability can be reached by increasing and decreasing food commodity group gradually from 2016 to 2019. The food commodity groups that need to be increased are such as; cereals, pulse nut and oil seeds, animal food, vegetable, and fruit. While the commodity groups that need to be decreased are such as starchy food, nut, oil and fat, animal food, and sugar.

Does Retail Food Diversity in Urban Food Environments Influence Consumer Diets?

The food environment influences consumer diets in significant yet underexplored ways. In this study, we assess the way in which the Nairobi urban food environment—availability, accessibility, affordability, desirability, convenience and marketing—influences the dietary choices and quality of poor urban consumers, by combining market-level diversity scores (MLDS) with household and individual data collected from resource-poor (slum) neighbourhoods in Nairobi, Kenya. We find that urban-poor settings are characterized by a variety of food retail venues, including informal markets such as kiosks, mom-and-pop shops and tabletop vendors, as well as modern retail outlets such as supermarkets. Most of these food outlets predominantly sell unhealthy, highly-processed and energy-dense foods rather than nutritious foods such as vegetables, fruits and animal products. Our analyses show that supermarkets have the highest MLDS, yet they do not significantly influence the diets of resource-poor households. However, a high MLDS among informal retail outlets has a positive association with diet quality; conversely, open-air markets have a negative association. The nutritional status of urban-poor consumers can be improved by promoting the diversification of healthy, nutritious foods across traditional retail outlets and improving accessibility of the outlets to consumers.

Changes In Community Consumption Patterns Due To The Covid-19 Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed people's consumption patterns. On the one hand, the community is required to sort out and choose needs that are on a priority scale. On the other hand, people want the needs of life to be fulfilled to the fullest. This research objects to analyze changes in community consumption patterns due to covid-19. This study uses a qualitative approach with a literature study method. The data used in this study are secondary, in the form of research from institutional data AND scientific journals both print and online which selected based on four aspects, namely: 1) Provenance; 2) Objectivity; 3) Persuasiveness; 4) Values. The results of the study SHOW THAT, in general, the poor are only able to meet their primary needs. The middle class almost fulfills all their needs, both primary, secondary, and tertiary needs. The upper class can meet all their needs, both primary and tertiary. The Covid-19 pandemic also changing society's consumption patterns from consumption habits to tending to realistic. The quantity of consumption is relatively constant but the quality is decreasing. The increase in consumption allocation is more on prioritizing food quality and food diversity. Additionally, a new trend for shopping is appearing online through certain marketplace, so there is a new trend in the form of utilization of digital wallets or other non-cash transactions.

Corporate Power in the Bioeconomy Transition: The Policies and Politics of Conservative Ecological Modernization in Brazil

The bioeconomy transition is a double-edged sword that may either address fossil fuel dependence sustainably or aggravate human pressures on the environment, depending on how it is pursued. Using the emblematic case of Brazil, this article analyzes how corporate agribusiness dominance limits the bioeconomy agenda, shapes innovation pathways, and ultimately threatens the sustainability of this transition. Drawing from scholarship on power in agri-food governance and sustainability transitions, an analytical framework is then applied to the Brazilian case. The analysis of current policies, recent institutional changes and the case-specific literature reveals that, despite a strategic framing of the bioeconomy transition as a panacea for job creation, biodiversity conservation and local development (particularly for the Amazon region), in practice major soy, sugarcane and meatpacking conglomerates dominate Brazil’s bioeconomy agenda. In what can be described as conservative ecological modernization, there is some reflexivity regarding environmental issues but also an effort to maintain (unequal) social and political structures. Significant agribusiness dominance does not bode well for smallholder farmers, food diversity or natural ecosystems, as major drivers of deforestation and land-use change (e.g., soy plantations, cattle ranching) gain renewed economic and political stimulus as well as greater societal legitimacy under the bioeconomy umbrella.