**5. Consumption pattern of ASF in developing countries**

In developing countries, people consume a low amount of ASF which leads to developmental abnormalities, anaemia, decreased cognitive abilities, and weaker motor development as ASF is the only natural source of vitamin B12 [28]. According to WHO, low-income countries consume a lesser amount of ASF than developed nations. Inadequate access to animal-sourced foods is a major problem in developing countries. This is coupled with other factors like unavailability of ASF, lack of awareness about their prominence in the diet; as well as poverty, gender dynamics, taboos, and other socio-cultural factors. Unawareness of the importance of ASF in diets is an issue majorly among rural poor wherein diets are aimed at eradicating hunger rather than meeting nutritional requirements. This scenario is aggravated by the unaffordability of diets by the poor. According to the study conducted by researchers (for example, see [29]) in India, the milk consumption by rich households are around 7 and 3.3 times higher than poorer and poor households respectively. Also, the prices of ASF are higher than plant-based foods making it less affordable for the poor. In Ethiopia, the prices of ASF like egg, meat, and milk increased by 30% in the last decade compared to plant-based foods like tubers, roots, and cereals as per the findings of the study conducted by [30]. Religious and other social taboos further contribute to low consumption of ASF like most of the Hindus in India do not eat beef and Muslims do not eat pork due to religious beliefs. Some believe that if lower caste people eat ASF, animal productivity will decrease [31]. Studies [32] also report that gender bias in food allocation is another undeniable factor in low ASF consumption in developing countries. As per the meat consumption per capita and stunting rate estimates in different countries by OECD (for example, see [33]), there is a decreasing trend in the proportion of stunted children in various countries across the world with increasing per capita consumption of meat and developing countries had low per capita consumption of meat compared to developed countries. Although the ASF food consumption is generally low in developing and other low-income countries when compared to developed ones, studies predict that overall there will be a hike in per capita consumption of livestock products compared to other agricultural products and this change will be more evident in developing countries [34].
