sufo:trop

Abstract:

The project sufo:trop (Sustainable food consumption in Austria: trends and options) focuses on food consumption patterns in Austria, and by relating them to economic data from households, it will make policy recommendations related to sustainable food consumption. Current trends suggest that the fraction of food consumption in total household expenditures is declining (in Austria 20% in 1970 and 12% in 2002). The daily calorie intake is, however, increasing, as is the proportion of meat and sweets, two highly energy intensive food categories. Hence, food consumption has evidently become less sustainable during this period. In the project, different groups of food are considered: meat vs. vegetables; conventional vs. organic production; regional vs. more distant production; etc. The second focus is on the household specific consumption patterns, taking household income, family structure and household location into account. Simulations with respect to different consumption patterns will provide the basis for policy recommendations regarding sustainable food consumption.