La transición nutricional en la España contemporánea: las variaciones en el consumo de pan, patatas y legumbres (1850-2000)

Abstract

En este artículo se analiza la transición nutricional moderna en España. Un proceso que se inicia en el siglo XIX, que se traduce en una progresiva mejora de la alimentación y del estado nutritivo de la población hasta la década de 1930, que se interrumpe durante prácticamente dos décadas y que se reemprende de forma definitiva en la segunda mitad del siglo XX. El trabajo se centra en la evolución del consumo de tres grupos de alimentos que han representado una parte fundamental de la dieta de la población española hasta el último tercio del siglo XX: los cereales, las patatas y las legumbres secas. Asimismo, se compara el proceso español con las transiciones nutricionales que experimentan otros países de Europa occidental, mostrando su moderado retraso y su convergencia final.

Changes in food consumption from an agricultural-based economy to industrialisation: Uruguay (1900–70)

“…Uruguay started the twentieth century with a per capita annual consumption of 80 kilograms of wheat flour and reached 100 kilograms during the 1960s. These levels are below those of the cereals-based diet of Spain that consumed between 142 and 150 kilograms of flour in 1930 (Cussó and Garrabou, 2007). When comparing with Chile, the consumption of wheat is also somewhat lower, with the Chilean consumption being around 105–15 kilograms per year between the 1930s and the 1960s (once we adjust the quantities given by Llorca et al (2022) to compare in terms of wheat flour).…”

“…Considering another country of the Southern Cone of Latin America, such as Chile, the per capita consumption of meat was 30 kilograms in the 1930s and it was not until the twenty-first century that it reached 70 and 80 kilograms per capita (Llorca et al, 2020). Compared with a European country, like Spain, in 1930, the consumption of beef was between 16 and 28 kilograms, depending on the source (Cussó and Garrabou, 2007).…”

“…We can see the same picture with the consumption of potatoes. In Uruguay it was 28 kilograms during the 1930s, peaking to 42 kilograms per person during the 1950s, while Spain consumed between 109 and 164 kilograms per person in 1930 (Cussó and Garrabou, 2007) and Chile 72 kilograms in the 1930s and 67 kilograms in the 1960s (Llorca et al, 2022). Despite the lower relative prices of the calories obtained from cereals and tubers, the Uruguayan diet, rich on proteins from an early beginning, took several years to adopt a consumption of cereals, roots and tubers more similar to that of other peripheral economies like Chile in the twentieth century, an aspect which deserves a deeper look in a comparative perspective.…”

Rethinking the Fertility Transition in Rural Aragón (Spain) Using Height Data

“…Families that reduced their fertility were better able to nurture their children and thus increase their biological well-being. Therefore, the fact that a higher proportion of people with low-level biological well-being were the pioneers of the fertility transition could be due to the need to balance family size and budget, at a time when food and consumption patterns were changing towards more expensive products (such as meat) [96]. It is possible that fertility control can reduce pressure on the family budget while also allowing an increase in the budget derived from the women's labour supply.…”

Climate Effects and Stature since 1800

“…Regarding the structure of crops, in Valencia there were oranges, rice, almonds, and a varied range of horticultural products; and in Murcia, fruits, vegetables, and lemons: In both cases, they were easily exported to European markets (Galofré-Vilà et al 2018b). In the 1930s the Spanish diet shifted from a monotonous diet based on bread, potatoes, and legumes to a richer system with the consumption of meat, milk, animal fats, fruits, and vegetables, positively affecting heights (Cussó Segura and Garrabou 2007).…”