The Effect Of Market Availability On Food Consumption Of Rural Residents

Since the Reform and Opening-up policy,there has been a significant change in the food consumption demands of rural Chinese residents,with a clear trend towards upgrading and transforming food consumption.Market factors play an increasingly important role in meeting the diverse and quality-oriented food consumption needs of rural residents,but the impact of market availability has not received sufficient attention.Firstly,the development of rural economy and increasing income levels have led to an increase in demand for highquality food consumption,represented by animal-based foods.Secondly,the widespread adoption and development of modern agricultural technologies,and the improvement of agricultural commercialization levels,has led to a decrease in farmers’ food self-sufficiency,which means that rural residents need to obtain more food from other sources.Finally,food markets can provide residents with a rich variety of fresh food and industrial products and improving market availability can help meet the food purchasing needs of rural residents.Therefore,analyzing the impact of market availability on rural residents’ food consumption is of great significance in promoting the development of food markets in rural areas and upgrading the food consumption of rural residents.This article mainly studies the impact of market availability on the food consumption of rural residents.The specific research contents include:(1)descriptive statistical analysis of the current status of food consumption by rural residents and market availability,and a comparison of the food consumption structure and dietary nutrition differences of rural residents under different market availability conditions;(2)establishing econometric models and using methods such as least squares,seemingly unrelated regression,and panel regression to estimate the specific impact of market availability on the food consumption structure,dietary quality,and nutrient intake of rural residents,and further analyzing the heterogeneous effects on residents with different income levels,dietary knowledge levels,and family land areas;(3)summarizing the research results and proposing policy recommendations that help improve market availability of rural food markets,improve the food consumption structure of rural residents,and increase the level of dietary nutrition.The main conclusions drawn from the above research contents are:(1)there are significant regional differences in food consumption by rural residents,with generally low market availability of rural food markets and uneven development among different regions;(2)improving market availability can help improve the food consumption structure of rural residents,increase the consumption of animal-based foods,improve dietary quality,and make nutrient intake healthier;(3)the impact of market availability on the dietary quality and nutrient intake of rural residents with different characteristics,such as income levels,dietary knowledge levels,and family land areas,is heterogeneous;(4)family member structure,family income level,and market accessibility also have a significant impact on the food consumption of rural residents.Based on the research findings above,this article proposes several policy recommendations:(1)supporting the market development in areas with underdeveloped food markets,providing policy support,strengthening infrastructure construction,and narrowing the gap in the development level of regional food markets;(2)attaching importance to the crucial role of town food markets in ensuring food consumption for rural residents,improving the market information system,and strengthening food sales channel construction;(3)paying attention to the differentiated demands for food consumption among low-income and remote rural residents,and better utilizing the radiation effect of food markets on these groups;(4)improving the household income level and accessibility of food markets for rural residents,exploring various channels to promote the upgrading of food consumption among rural residents.