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Chapter 5: Ecology and Economics of Nutrition

Chapter 5: Ecology and Economics of Nutrition. The biological forces and social forces that shape: human food use nutritional status of individuals and populations. Variables to be discussed. Physical environment Social environment Social organization Technology Culture.

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Chapter 5: Ecology and Economics of Nutrition

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  1. Chapter 5: Ecology and Economics of Nutrition • The biological forces and social forces that shape: • human food use • nutritional status of individuals and populations

  2. Variables to be discussed • Physical environment • Social environment • Social organization • Technology • Culture

  3. Physical Environment Climate Water resources Soil characteristics Indigenous animals and plants

  4. Social Environment • Food procurement and distribution by: • Other societies • Other regions • Other communities • How do these factors affect the diet in the study community?

  5. Social Organization • Structure and organization of the household • Political and economic structure as they pertain to food through: • Production • Distribution • Consumption

  6. Technology • Tools and techniques • Production • Distribution • Acquisition • Storage • Consumption

  7. Culture (idea systems) • Food preferences and restrictions • Use of food in social interactions • Religious beliefs • Ideas about health

  8. Subsistence Systems • Hunting-Gathering • Pastoralist • Agricultural • Horticultural (gardening, hoe) • Advanced (plow) • Industrial Agricultural

  9. Core Characteristics of Human Food Patterns • Extremely omnivorous diet • At least some cooking • More time consuming preparation • Elaborate food distribution, sharing, and exchange patterns • Food prohibitions and food preferences

  10. Hunting and Gathering • Most of human history • Collect food from land and water but not cultivating • Distribution of food affected social organization: small groups, seminomadic, used large land area, population density low, population growth slow

  11. Hunting and Gathering cont. • Diversity in types of food consumed • Diversity in ratio of animal to vegetable • General nutritional status good to excellent • Seasonal food shortage a problem, this varies with environment • Chronic malnutrition and deficiency diseases rare

  12. Pastoralism • Subsistence based on herd animals • Two types: Nomadic, Seminomadic • Nomads • No permanent houses • No agriculture • Seminomads • Live in settlements • Some individuals cultivate crops

  13. Pastoralism cont. • Milk is important part of diet • Practiced for 3000 years • Today this strategy is less viable due to political and economic constraints

  14. Agricultural • Beginning 12,000 to 15,000 years ago • By 2000 years ago a large proportion of world’s population completely dependent on agriculture

  15. “Agricultural Revolution” • Major changes in diet, nutrition, and health • Social and technological changes • Changes in human societies

  16. Horticultural • Also called gardening systems • Use hoe rather than plow • No irrigation • Household consumption • No commercial sale • Household is production unit • Little interdependence with other groups • No expanded market networks

  17. Agriculture • Use of plow • Irrigation • Class of producers – peasants • Only some producers • Other elites who control production • Malnutrition hits rural producers hardest

  18. Cash Cropping • Industrialization of food production and food preparation • Changes in household production • Changes in culture • Changes in environment

  19. Leisure Time • Women • Resting • Crafts • Visiting other camps • Receiving visitors from other camps • Kitchen chores • Cooking, nut cracking, collecting firewood, hauling water

  20. Leisure Time cont. • Men • Visiting • Entertaining • Dancing

  21. Estimating Nutritional Status • Average consumption of calories and proteins/person/day • Estimated RDA (based on body size and activity level) • 1,975 calories • 60 grams protein • Observed Kung • 2,140 calories • 93.1 grams protein • Observed Achuar • 3,408 calories (4,557) • 104.5 grams protein (162)

  22. Hunting Versus Gathering • Hunting is high risk, low return • Gathering is low risk, high return • With the Kung, gathering is 2.4 times more productive than hunting

  23. Food Preferences and the Cost of Food • 1000 calories of meat “costs” 10 man-hours • 1000 calories of vegetable foods “costs” four man-hours

  24. Review of Subsistence Strategies • The Kung have been extremely successful, in part, because of the heavy reliance on vegetable food sources • Is this a common pattern? • From a sample of 58 societies • 100 % dependence on hunting and gathering • 29 cases (50%) emphasize gathering • 18 cases (33%) emphasize fishing • 11 cases (17%) emphasize hunting

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