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. 2022 Nov 19;14(22):4892.
doi: 10.3390/nu14224892.

Sustainable Nutrition for Increased Food Security Related to Romanian Consumers' Behavior

Ioana Mihaela Balan  1 , Emanuela Diana Gherman  1 , Remus Gherman  1 , Ioan Brad  1 , Raul Pascalau  2 , Gabriela Popescu  1 , Teodor Ioan Trasca  3
Affiliations

Sustainable Nutrition for Increased Food Security Related to Romanian Consumers' Behavior

Ioana Mihaela Balan et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Food security is a matter of global concern, as the supply of food is one of the basic needs, ensuring the survival of the species. The trend of globalization and development of the global economy has shifted the responsible, local consumption patterns towards an increased homogeneity of diets, with food products being disconnected from their source, leading to two major results: (1) increased global consumption and (2) increased uncertainty in the supply chain. To determine what is the nutritional model of Romanians, we developed a questionnaire of 32 questions and distributed it using simple random sampling method. The questionnaire was issued both in physical and digital form and received 1053 responses. The survey was conducted during 2021 and 2022, both in urban and rural areas with the aim of investigating the consumption pattern of the population. The analysis of the questionnaire data reveals overconsumption of animal products, starchy vegetables and bread and pastry products. This nutritional pattern with a high intake in animal protein, correlated with a lack of diversification, is extremely unsustainable, having a negative impact on human health and environmental health.

Keywords: food security; food waste; overconsumption; sustainable and healthy food choices/systems; sustainable nutrition.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The content of the questionnaire in the framework of Google forms is neither created nor endorsed by Google, being the original development of the authors, through the Google web application, as regulated by Google [55].

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Frequency of fruits and vegetables consumption (authors’ study).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Frequency of animal products consumption (authors’ study).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Total calories and total nutritional factors, in 2020 compared to 2019 in Romania of average daily food consumption per inhabitant [39].
Figure 4
Figure 4
Land use per caloric outputs of animal farming as share of total—authors’ adaptation after [50]. * The land used for livestock includes farms, buildings and pastures and land for feed, not only the physical land occupied with animals.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Recommended food intake (food pyramid)—authors’ adaption after [52].
Figure 6
Figure 6
Key elements of a sustainable diet—authors’ adaptation of data from [53].
Figure 7
Figure 7
Caloric intake in relation to the amount of different food groups—authors own interpretation of data from [17].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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