Food Trends Leading to Diminished Species

A food trend can be described as a prevailing consumption habit or a tendency to consume a particular ingredient, dish, or preparation style. Because it takes a significant amount of resources to feed a population, a popular food trend or a dominant consumption preference can have a profound impact on the species from which it is derived. Often unknown to the consumer, these prevailing consumption patterns or trends can lead directly to a species decline and endangerment. Food trends that take place in the United States are discussed in particular herein, and examples of species that have become or once were part of popular food trends leading to their decline are provided.