GLOBALIZATION IN EATING HABITS

Introduction

Globalization refers to the way in which developments in one region can rapidly come to have significant consequences for the security and well-being of communities in quite distant regions of the globe. (McGrew, 2000)

It is expansion and intensification of connections and movements of people, goods, capital, ideas and culture, between/among countries.

It offers growth prospects to national economies (International Monetary Fund, 1997).

Globalization Vs Food Habits

Globalization has resulted in increase in availability and diversity of food, not necessarily making access to food universal. This kind of phenomenon is more visible in urban areas where

food preferences are influenced by the purchasing power of individual among high income groups.

With the coming in of large multinational fast-food and supermarket chains, there is competition for market share of food purchasers.

Globalization in eating habits

Urbanization

Increasing incomes

Foreign direct investments

Market liberalization

Positive effects of Globalization

Large scale companies that once only outsourced to western countries are now trading their goods all over the world.

People can also now be connected to any part of the world due to instant internet connections, making communication faster and easier with webcams and instant chat as oppose to paper mail.

Increased media coverage is also drawing attention to human rights and violation issues all over the world, which ultimately leads to a larger scale of improvement of these concerns.

Negative effects of Globalization

Exploitation of labor Adverse effect on the countries’ economy Adverse health effects Medical conditions like Obesity, Cardio-vascular diseases, Diabetes Low nutrient intake Decrease in popularity of Traditional foods

The Spread of American Fast Food in Asia

American restaurant chains have been opening their doors more and more during the last five years. Wherever you go, if you are traveling in your car, you can see McDonalds, Pizza Hut and Burger King.

The influence is so big that now they are opening new fast food restaurants; but instead of selling American food, they are selling traditional Amercanized food. So they have taken the concept of these famous places, but adapted it to the original country's food.

New challenges and opportunities

Local culture and food traditions are disappearing

For most countries, micronutrient deficiencies are of concern.

Undernutrition and food insecurity

Diet related non-communicable diseases (NCDs), principally obesity, coronary heart

disease, diabetes and hypertension

Changing Food Culture In India

During the 1980s, consumption of both animal and vegetable products, the largest proportional increase was in the consumption of milk.

The 1980s also saw an increase in the consumption of spices and oil crops.

The 1990s, among vegetable products, there were large increases in the consumption of rice pulses and cereals has declined.

The use of wheat in the diet is changing as well, since there is a move away from the traditional chapatti to more commercialized bread products similar to those found in the west.

McDonalds case study

McDonald fast food restaurants are found in 119 countries. It serves 58 million people daily and operates in 31000 restaurants

worldwide. The company is operated by affiliate, franchise or corporation itself (Changkyu, 2010).

McDonalds foods are popular in many countries as a result of media and internet advertisements. Through aggressive marketing campaigns targeting consumer wants and needs through internet and media has contributed a lot to the growth of McDonald foods in the world. The company is popular because of its unique western taste of fast food French fries which have specialized ingredients such as sweet, sour taste ketchup (John, 1998).

KFC case study

Kentucky fried chicken (KFC) is world largest chain of fried chicken restaurants. Its headquarters are in Louisville United States. The company

has over 17000 branches in over 105 countries worldwide. The biggest markets of its fried chicken are in China and United States of America.

Through the use of internet and media, the company has been able to market itself globally. Also, in the media adverts, its products have been displayed as a modern way of eating habits.

Conclusion

Globalization has had its plus points in attempting to converge nations into a ‘Global village’, it has been equally responsible in creating further divide among nations.

Coordination between agriculture, education, health and nutrition is essential to provide favorable environments and appropriate messages for maintaining or recreating healthy food cultures.

Efforts must be made to build alternate measures to sustain and preserve the local cuisines and cultures that aim at reviving indigenous foods.

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