Consumer demand for food is an important element in the formulation of various agricultural and food policies. Food choices by U.S. households influence the types of crops that America's farmers grow, the prices farmers receive, and the way in which various crops are transformed into food products.

ERS research on food consumption examines:

• the effects of food consumption choices on agriculture,
• the behavioral and economic determinants of food and nutrient consumption,
• interrelationships between spending on food and non-food items,
• consumer valuation of quality, safety, and nutritional characteristics, and
• the role of information in determining food choices.

Last updated: Monday, July 30, 2012

For more information contact: Biing-Hwan Lin and Abigail Okrent