Economic Development and Diet Composition: Cross-Continental Insights into Bennett's Law

Bartłomiej BajanMagdalena Piechocka

DOI 10.7160/aol.2025.170203
No 2/2025, June
pp. 37-49

Bajan, B. and Piechocka, M. (2025) "Economic Development and Diet Composition: Cross-Continental Insights into Bennett's Law", AGRIS on-line Papers in Economics and Informatics, Vol. 17, No. 2, pp. 37-49. ISSN 1804-1930 DOI 10.7160/aol.2025.170203.

Abstract

The study assesses Bennett's Law, which posits that higher incomes lead to reduced consumption of starchy staples in favor of more diverse, nutrient-dense diets, and its relevance across various global regions. Using regression models, the research examines the relation between GDP per capita and the share of starchy staple foods in caloric intake across continents. The findings indicate significant regional variations in adherence to Bennett's Law. For instance, while South America aligns with Bennett's predictions, Europe deviates, showing increased starchy staple consumption with rising incomes, potentially due to cultural and eco-conscious dietary trends. Africa and parts of Asia display limited dietary diversification, often due to structural barriers and economic constraints. Contrarily, Oceania and North America exhibit a mixed relationship, influenced by income inequality and health trends. These results suggest that Bennett's Law's applicability is region-specific and influenced by socioeconomic, cultural, and policy factors, underscoring the complexity of dietary transitions and cautioning against one-size-fits-all assumptions about the impacts of economic development on food consumption.

Keywords

Food consumption patterns, diet composition, Bennett’s Law

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