How dietary transition changed land use in Mexico

The nutrition transition towards western diets in developing countries occurs at multiple levels, impacting health and society and also the environment. In Mexico, the shift in food consumption and production patterns, particularly in relation to animal source foods (ASF), has changed land use. We s...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ambio 2020-10, Vol.49 (10), p.1676-1684
Main Authors: Tello, José, Garcillán, Pedro P., Ezcurra, Exequiel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural land
Animal-based foods
Atmospheric Sciences
Crop production
Developing countries
Earth and Environmental Science
Ecology
Environment
Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology
Environmental impact
Environmental Management
Food
Food consumption
Food sources
Forage crops
Land use
LDCs
Livestock
Livestock production
Nutrition
Physical Geography
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The nutrition transition towards western diets in developing countries occurs at multiple levels, impacting health and society and also the environment. In Mexico, the shift in food consumption and production patterns, particularly in relation to animal source foods (ASF), has changed land use. We studied the consumption and production of ASF and change in agricultural land use in Mexico during the second half of the twentieth century and until 2013; using domestic and international data sources, our findings show an increasing proportion of farmed area devoted to the production of feed crops domestically, and also an increasing demand of farmed feed beyond national borders. We discuss how the intensification of livestock production is associated to major environmental threats and suggest that opportunities are available for sustainable and healthy food options.
ISSN:0044-7447
1654-7209
DOI:10.1007/s13280-020-01317-9