Reliability

Hallst röm & Börj esson: Meat -Consum pt ion St at ist ics

The categorization is based on the following:

question available for use within a country or region

(FAO, 2001; SFA, 2011a). Food-balance sheets

(FBSs) at regional (e.g., Eurostat) and global (e.g.,

FAOSTAT) levels provide standardized supply data

and represent an important knowledge base that permits comparative analyses over time.

In agricultural statistics, meat refers to the flesh

of animals used for human food and hence excludes

meat unfit for human consumption (EC, 2009; FAO,

2011a). The available supply of meat in a country is

typically calculated as (national production + import

+ opening stocks) – (exports + usage input for food 1

+ feed + nonfood usage + wastage + closing stocks).

Per capita supply data are obtained by dividing the

national available supply by the number of inhabitants (FAO, 2001; EC, 2011a). Although the data in

agricultural statistics only provide information on the

available per capita supply of meat, these data are

often used, due to economic constraints and lack of

other data, as a proxy for per capita meat consumption.

Agricultural supply data can either be presented

as the available supply of raw material per person

(i.e., cereals, milk, sugar), or as the available supply

of food per person (i.e., bread, cheese, candy)

(Eidstedt & Wikberger, 2011; SFA, 2011a). Depending on how data are presented, adjustments for food

losses (beginning of the food chain) and waste (end

of the food chain) may or may not be accounted for.

Factors affecting the reliability of agricultural supply

data include the risk of incomplete and/or inaccurate

underlying national statistics (e.g., in certain developing countries), limited information on losses and

waste along the food chain, and incomplete reporting

of noncommercial products (e.g., game) (FAO, 2001;

Hawkesworth et al. 2010).

Agricultural supply data makes it possible to

study consumption trends over...