Reaching Turning Points in Economic Transition: Adjustments to Distortions in the Supply and Demand for Food

Transition economies have historically been important producers of agricultural products. Under central planning, distortions resulted in atypical food consumption and associated production patterns compared to market economies, with low and medium-income populations producing and eating high-income, livestock-rich diets. Using market economy consumption patterns as benchmarks, we identify to what extent various turning points have been reached in food consumption patterns and self-sufficiency ratios as transition economies adjust to market conditions. We develop a model using the concept of cereal equivalent factor values to measure progress and compare and contrast country changes in food consumption and production with a commensurate, resource-use approach.