Analysis of meat production and consumption in the province of Chimborazo, Ecuador

Abstract

Introduction. Meat consumption trends; the way it is produced and marketed is changing worldwide. In this sense, Ecuador has not been the exception, and particularly the province of Chimborazo where both the production and consumption of this food has undergone changes. On the other hand, the issue of health, environmental awareness are some of the factors that have influenced the consumption of this protein and that also merit an analysis. The objective of the research proposes a theoretical approach to the analysis of the production and consumption of meat in the province of Chimborazo in order to serve as a baseline and contribution for future investigations that wish to deepen the subject, as well as guide future commercial decisions and of production within the province. Methodology. The research design is qualitative-quantitative and cross-sectional. The methods used were the historical-logical, inductive-deductive, analytical-synthetic. Results. Among the most significant results, it can be highlighted that almost half of the cattle destined for meat production are found on the Coast, while dairy cattle are concentrated in the Sierra. Chimborazo represents only 6% of livestock production compared to the other provinces. Conclusions. One of the main conclusions is that factors such as health, price, product presentation and ecology affect the consumption of red meat.