Does food consumption converge internationally? Measurement, empirical tests and determinants

Abstract

A measurement concept to test for convergence or divergence in food consumption is proposed and applied to the demand for food nutrients in OECD countries in 1978 and 1988. The analysis distinguishes between absolute and relative convergence and reveals that absolute and relative differences in food consumption across countries do not always follow the same trend. The empirical results clearly show that the terms capturing convergence are the most important variables, indicating the importance of preferences rather than income prices or availability in an international comparison of food demand.