Changes in the Structure of Global Food Demand

May 1998 Purdue AGEC Staff Paper #98-5 A newly developed demand system is used to estimate the response of food and food product demand to per capita expenditure changes. The resulting Engel elasticities are then used to project food and food product demand in 2020 assuming per capita expenditure and population changes. Results suggest that while food expenditure is projected to grow, it accounts for a smaller proportion of total expenditure. Further analysis indicates change in the composition of food demand away from a grain and towards livestock is projected to occur in lower income countries in 2020.