Milk-and-Dairy-Products-in-Human-Nutrition-FAO

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Milk and dairy products in human nutrition
to a few regions (e.g. South Asia) or even to single large countries, notably Brazil.
China has recently experienced rapid growth in consumption of livestock products,
but per capita consumption levels remain relatively low. In sub-Saharan Africa per
capita consumption of dairy decreased in the last 20 years.
The most important driver of growth in consumption of dairy products in developing
countries has been economic growth: the increase in per capita consumption
of dairy products (as well as other livestock products) in developing countries is
highly correlated with growth in per capita income. However, numerous other factors,
including cultural preferences for certain livestock products, affect consumption
levels in individual countries.
The combination of rising level of per capita consumption and relatively high
population growth rates has resulted in a large increase in production in the
developing world and a shift in the balance of production across regions. In recent
decades, developing countries closed the gap with developed countries in milk
production, and India emerged as the largest milk producer.
The livestock sector has been affected by deep technological changes along
the food chain, both in developed countries and in many developing countries.
Technological change and productivity growth has been especially rapid in the
poultry, eggs, pork and dairy sectors. However, much of product of research and
development has not been generally available to or directly applicable to small-scale
producers in developing countries.
The reduction in transportation costs and the weakening of tariff barriers
boosted agricultural trade and in particular trade in livestock products: from 1961
to 2006, the relative share of meat, dairy and eggs in global agricultural exports
increased from 11 to 17 percent. The bulk of this is represented by meat, while
dairy products account for around six percent of agricultural exports. Most dairy
products are consumed domestically, and only about 13 percent enter international
trade, although the share has been increasing.
The growth of the livestock sector is expected to slow somewhat in the coming
decades as a number of factors behind the demand boom of the last 20 years begin
to fade. However, growth in consumption and production of dairy products is
expected to continue, especially in large parts of the developing countries where
consumption levels are still low.
Rapid growth and structural change in the livestock sector are leading to increasing
risks to the environment, human and animal health and of social exclusion. The
future contribution of dairy and the livestock sector in general will depend on how
these issues are addressed by governments and the international community.
Disclosure statement
The authors declare that no financial or other conflict of interest exists in relation
to the content of the chapter.