From Cereals to High-Value Foods: Realigning Agricultural Policies to Evolving Consumer Preferences

Changes in consumer food preferences have significant implications for agri-food systems, triggering a cascade of adaptations throughout the value chain, from downstream to upstream. As disposable income increases, consumers demand more nutritious and safer foods, signalling producers, processors, and distributors to recalibrate their activities. Such adjustments often require investment in new technologies, sustainable farming practices, food processing, supply chains, and logistics. The implications of changing consumer preferences extend beyond immediate market dynamics, encompassing policies and regulations to balance food demand and supply, and promote responsible consumption and production.