Overall, global grain consumption has exceeded production in eight of the past 13 years.
"That'll drive up grain consumption because cattle need lots of food," Mr. Heebner said.
In seven of the last eight years, world grain consumption has exceeded production, forcing a drawdown in stocks.
To be precise, annual grain consumption has increased almost 60 pounds per person, and caloric sweeteners (primarily high-fructose corn syrup) by 30 pounds.
In a continent where grain consumption is growing at the same speed as its dependence on staple imports, fighting food losses can make a major impact on food availability.
This despite the inherent inefficiencies: about two to five times more grain is required to produce the same amount of calories through livestock as through direct grain consumption, according to Rosamond Naylor, an associate professor of economics at Stanford University.
From 1990 to 2005 world grain consumption grew by an average of 21 million tons a year, nearly all of it going to cover expanding food and feed needs.
In urban India, the declines in grain consumption were less steep but still notable: from 10.6kg to 9.7kg for monthly cereal consumption and from 960g to 870g per month for pulses.
Per capita annual grain consumption in China is up to 0.4 t.
In this paper, we simulate the effects of tax reforms aimed at encouraging healthier grain consumption.
