Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 22 ISSUE 3
Written by Romulo SALOMA

Despite the availability of vegetables, a large proportion of the Philippine population consumes an inadequate amount of vegetables. Low vegetable consumption is among the top risk factor contributing to several health problems. This study investigates the determinants of vegetable consumption particularly in Isabel, Leyte, Philippines using a cross-sectional data analysis. The descriptive analysis shows that the average daily vegetable consumption per capita is 48.2 grams lower than the recommended standard set by the World Health Organization (WHO) or Food and Nutritional Research Institute (FNRI). The regression analysis suggests that households who produce their own vegetables consume more vegetables. However, as income increases, vegetable consumption decreases because households opt to consume more meat products. Results of the study suggest that localization of vegetable supply is one of the feasible options that policymakers can consider in increasing vegetable consumption.

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