Availability of plant-based foods in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay in the last 60 years

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The Sustainable Development Goals invite us to take care of the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Faced with the changing patterns of production and consumption around water, energy and food, it is of great interest to study food availability, in order to implement actions that lead to guaranteeing the needs of the population, allowing sustainable development without compromising future generations^1,2. The objective of the work was to determine the proportion of plant-based foods (AOV) in relation to the total energy supply for Argentina, Chile and Uruguay and to inspect its evolution in the last 60 years.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: descriptive, longitudinal study. The share of AOVs in total energy availability was considered as the energy supply (kcal/person/day) of the following food groups: cereals, tubers, legumes, fruits, vegetables, oils, seeds, dried fruits, and sugar (except honey). This information was extracted from the Food Balance Sheets (HBA), an instrument designed and developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), based on reliable statistical information available on its website3. The period of 1961, 1990 and 2020 of the HBAs for Argentina, Chile and Uruguay was considered. These years were taken as a reference due to the existence of information from these years and taking 30-year cycles to evaluate possible changes in food availability.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATION: the data were extracted from secondary sources; all databases are in the public domain and do not require evaluation by an ethics committee.

RESULTS: The average energy supply during 2020 in the three countries was 3232±95.1 Kcal/person/day. In relation to the proportion of energy coming from AOV, it was higher in Chile and Uruguay (68%), while Argentina had a lower percentage (65.1%). The cereal group provided the most AOV energy. AOV's contribution to total energy increased in Uruguay and Argentina, 14.5% and 2.8% respectively and decreased in Chile by 9.6% between 1961 and 2020.

CONCLUSIONS: Although some increase in the availability of AOV would be evident mainly in Uruguay, it is necessary to continue working on new strategies that guarantee food and nutritional security and allow the conservation of natural resources.