Food consumption and its local dependence: A case study in the Xilin Gol Grassland, China

Abstract

Food consumption research is an important part of ecosystem service consumption research. Studying regional food consumption patterns and their dependence on local areas can provide important reference for research on regional resource utilization and sustainable development. The grassland areas selected for this study including a typical pastoral grassland area, a sandyland and an agro-pastoral transition zone in the Xilin Gol Grassland, Inner Mongolia. We analyzed food consumption of rural residents and its dependence on local ecosystems based on a primary (first-hand) household food tracking survey conducted from August 2017 to July 2018, data from a 2017 household questionnaire survey and a local market survey in the study areas in combination with land-use data and socioeconomic data from China. Results showed three distinct food consumption patterns along Xilin Gol Grassland transects. The quantity of per capita food consumption in each typical area decreased from north to south areas, which also showed that the dominant type of food consumption shift from animal to plant food. Moreover, we found that local production can provide local residents with most of the food they require. Local production supply has had an important impact on the food consumption patterns of the local people, while residents had a certain preference for food produced from other external regions, and this demand is gradually increasing. The food consumption demands of residents showed a trend in diversified development. This study could provide empirical reference to policymakers for regional resource management.