Food demand in Australia: Trends and issues 2018

Overview \r\n\r\n The report presents updated estimates of household food expenditure trends and examines further issues relating to Australia's household food expenditure. The analysis builds on a June 2017 ABARES report that examined recent trends in food demand in Australia and a range of food security issues. \r\n\r\n Key Issues \r\n\r\n Between 2009-10 and 2016-17, the key drivers of Australia's household food demand growth were, in order of importance, population growth, changes in tastes and preferences (including lifestyle choices), lower real food prices and real income growth. While population growth is important, increasing the number of people seeking to meet their energy and nutrition requirements, there has also been a broadly-based shift toward spending on meals out and fast foods, with the share of meals out and fast foods in household food expenditure in Australia increasing from 31 per cent in 2009-10 to 34 per cent in 2015-16. This increases food expenditure per person, all else constant. \r\n\r\n Domestic household consumption is still the most important market for food producers (based on value), but food exports have recovered strongly in recent years, from $25 billion in 2009-10 to $39 billion in 2016-17 (in 2015-16 prices); the share of exports in Australia's indicative food production increased from a recent low of 25 per cent in 2009-10 to 33 per cent in 2016-17. \r\n\r\n Two key questions posed in the report relate to food security across population sub-groups and economic opportunities for farmers and other food product and service providers. • Food security-based on average outcomes in population sub-groups in 2015-16 using HES data, the Australian Government's transfer system is important in ensuring a high level of food security across households in Australia; some households, such as those highly reliant on family support payments, may require complementary support, for example, from non-government organisations. \r\n\r\n\r\n• Economic opportunities in the domestic food supply chain-future food demand growth in Australia will be underpinned by population and income growth. For people living in higher income and/or net worth households, there is a demonstrated willingness to pay a premium for quality attributes of food products and services, including convenience factors. Food labelling is a key approach to inform consumers about quality attributes that may earn a price premium. \r\n\r\n A key challenge in the long-term trend toward increased demand for meals out and fast foods is to ensure people have information about food attributes such as nutrition content. Reliable and well understood food product and service labelling may enhance nutrition security in Australia, and allow consumers to make food choices that are more closely aligned with their tastes and preferences (including in relation to nutrition and health), and wider circumstances, as well as contributing to reducing food waste.

概述

本报告提供了家庭食品支出趋势的最新估计，并探讨了与澳大利亚家庭食品支出相关的进一步问题。该分析基于澳大利亚农业和资源经济科学局（ABARES）2017年6月的一份报告，后者研究了澳大利亚近期食品需求趋势及一系列粮食安全问题。

关键问题

2009-10至2016-17年间，澳大利亚家庭食品需求增长的关键驱动因素按重要性排序为：人口增长、口味与偏好变化（含生活方式选择）、实际食品价格下降及实际收入增长。尽管人口增长至关重要——它增加了需满足能量和营养需求的人数，但支出向外出就餐和快餐的广泛转移同样显著：澳大利亚家庭食品支出中外出就餐和快餐的占比从2009-10年的31%升至2015-16年的34%。在其他条件不变的情况下，这提高了人均食品支出。

国内家庭消费仍是食品生产者最重要的市场（按价值计算），但近年来食品出口强劲复苏：按2015-16年价格计算，出口额从2009-10年的250亿澳元增至2016-17年的390亿澳元；澳大利亚指示性食品生产中的出口占比从2009-10年25%的近期低点升至2016-17年的33%。

报告提出的两个关键问题涉及不同人口亚群的粮食安全，以及农民和其他食品产品与服务提供者的经济机会。

• 粮食安全——基于2015-16年利用家庭支出调查（HES）数据得出的不同人口亚群平均结果，澳大利亚政府的转移支付体系对于确保全澳家庭的高水平粮食安全至关重要；部分家庭（如高度依赖家庭支持付款的家庭）可能需要补充支持，例如来自非政府组织的援助。

• 国内食品供应链的经济机会——澳大利亚未来食品需求增长将由人口和收入增长支撑。对于高收入和/或高净值家庭的居民而言，已有证据表明他们愿意为食品产品和服务的质量属性（含便利性因素）支付溢价。食品标签是向消费者传递可能获得价格溢价的质量属性信息的关键方法。

外出就餐和快餐需求增加这一长期趋势面临的关键挑战是确保人们获取食品属性（如营养成分）的信息。可靠且易于理解的食品产品和服务标签可提升澳大利亚的营养安全，让消费者做出更符合其口味偏好（包括营养与健康相关偏好）及更广泛环境的食品选择，同时有助于减少食品浪费。