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 America’s
appetite, like its population, is always changing. Dining out, once
thought to be a luxury, is now common. The Nation’s population
is wealthier, older, more educated, and more ethnically diverse
than in the past—and those demographic changes are likely
to become more pronounced in the next 20 years. Recent research
by ERS projects how these trends will influence food consumption
and expenditures through 2020.
Consumer-Driven Agriculture is a brief
multimedia Presentation.
Some Highlights:
In the United States, the shift toward an older age distribution
had the strongest impact on per capita fruit and vegetable expenditures
(up 3.7 percent and 3.6 percent, respectively). Changes in the age
distribution significantly affect per capita quantities consumed,
leading to declines in consumption of:
- fried potatoes (down 5.8 percent)
- cheese (down 2.7 percent)
- sugar (down 1.7 percent)
Income is the most important driver of per capita food expenditures.
Increases in income spur faster growth in per capita spending on
dining out (up almost 10 percent) than in per capita spending on
food for at-home preparation and consumption (up 3 percent). At
the same time, income growth is likely to:
- boost consumption of fruits and vegetables, cheese and yogurt,
and fish
- lower consumption of pork, beef, other meat, and eggs
For More Information:
Amber
Waves (Volume 1, Issue 2), April 2003
Tractors equipped with global positioning systems for precise preparation
and management of fields are among the sophisticated tools modern
American farmers use to keep up to date with consumers' food preferences.
The technology allows farmers to plan current and future crops accordingly.
Food and
Agricultural Commodity Consumption in the United States: Looking
Ahead to 2020
U.S. consumption of food commodities is projected to rise through
2020, mainly due to a population increase. But the mix of commodities
is expected to shift because of an older and more diverse population,
rising income, and more eating out.
Food Expenditures
by U.S. Households: Looking Ahead to 2020
Per capita spending on food is projected to increase 7.1 percent
by 2020, with the largest projected increase expected for fruit
(27.5 percent), and the smallest for both beef and beverages (21.1
percent).
Food
Review: Consumer-Driven Agriculture
Articles in this special issue project U.S. food consumption and
spending to 2020, discussing how farmers, processors, retailers,
and foodservice operators are responding to this changing demand
for food, and looking at food assistance expenditures and household
food security.
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