Structural Changes in Food Consumption and Nutritional Intake From Livestock Products in India

Abstract

Livestock as an important sub-sector of the Indian agricultural economy plays a multi-faceted role in providing liveli-hood support and food security especially to the country's rural population. There is a growing market for livestock products in India and it is well-documented that consumption patterns have been undergoing significant changes towards high value commodities like fruits and vegetables, milk, meat and eggs. Between 1983 and 1999, consumption of fruits increased by 553 per cent, of vegetables by 167 per cent, and of milk and milk products by 105 per cent. Consumption of meat, eggs and fish rose by 85 per cent over the same period, and these trends have continued since. The article analyses some significant recent structural changes in consumption of livestock products in India and examines their future scope in providing nutritional security. It is argued that despite significant reservations about meat consumption, livestock products have great potential to contribute significantly to the rural Indian economy and in providing better nutritional security for a still growing population.