Summary
This invited opinion piece by Provenza and Gregorini critiques how contemporary food systems systematically restrict dietary choice and adaptive feeding behaviour in both grazing herbivores and human consumers. Drawing on animal behaviour and nutritional science, the authors argue that industrial system design undermines dietary diversity, with potential implications for animal welfare and human nutritional outcomes. The paper presents a conceptual framework rather than empirical findings, intended to stimulate discussion of food system redesign.
UK applicability
The critique of industrial food system constraints on dietary choice is applicable to UK intensive livestock and arable systems, where standardised feed formulations and retail choice architecture similarly limit adaptive grazing and consumer dietary diversity. UK policy discussions around animal welfare and nutrition-sensitive food system design could benefit from this behavioural framework.
Key measures
No quantitative metrics reported; conceptual analysis of choice constraints in food systems
Outcomes reported
The paper examines conceptual mechanisms by which industrial food systems constrain adaptive feeding behaviour and dietary diversity in both grazing animals and human consumers. It does not report empirical measurements but rather develops a theoretical framework linking system design to choice limitation and potential welfare and nutritional consequences.
Topic tags
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