Sustainable food consumption in Latin America : how to meet the sustainable development goals

Abstract

This study first examines existing literature on agricultural consumption and production and how sustainability can be driven by consumer behavior. The thesis also explains the main differences between plant and animal-based diets to give a context for subsequent chapters. The thesis then turns to analyze to what extent recent trends in Latin American food-consumption align with the 2030 SDG goals. Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil are the countries of study in order to understand patterns in the Latin American region. Data about food consumption from different commodities are taken from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) with a time frame of 37 years; from 1990 to 2028. Furthermore, carbon dioxide emissions are linked with each commodity and then the analysis turns to understand how policymakers can close the gap in order to meet the 2030 SDG goals. Different scenarios are created where carbon emissions vary, and the analysis explains how much they align with the SDG goals. At last, recommendations are provided towards more sustainable food consumption and production to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.