The indicator of life quality: food consumption in the South Plain Region

Abstract

Food consumption of a household is affected by several factors. These factors relate to marketing, income, structure of expenditure. Besides satisfying physiological needs, food consumption is also used as a sociological indicator. Purchased food consumption is declining in Hungary, both at national and regional levels. The South Plain Region is one of the seven Hungarian statistical regions, 13 percent of the population live here. In the region agriculture contributes to economy with 17 percent, food industry with 20-25 percent. The economic growth is slow. The underdeveloped regions are not able to keep workforce, food consumption is stagnating. Purchased consumption is affected by many factors. Such as household incomes, food prices, household expenses like price of energy, price of substitution products, food consumption outside the household, urbanization, demographical factors. The study examines the influencing factors of food consumption in the South Plain Region. It points out the impact of these factors on food consumption and attempts to quantify the influential factors.