1. This is a ggplot2 list, but the code you offered is from base graphics.
2. Reading deeply between the lines:
DF <- subset(food, select = c("V3", "V72", "V73")
names(DF) <- c("continent", "male", "female")
library(reshape2)
library(ggplot2)
DFm <- melt(DF, id.vars = "continent",
variable.name = "gender")
# All on one plot
ggplot(DFm, aes(x = continent, y = value, fill = gender)) +
geom_boxplot(position = position_dodge(width = 0.8))
# Assuming continent is a factor, an alternative is
# to facet by continent:
ggplot(DFm, aes(x = gender, y = value)) +
geom_boxplot() +
facet_wrap(~ continent)
Untested in the absence of a reproducible example. Caveat emptor.
Dennis