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Negative nutrition impacts from the food price crisis in Latin America
Author(s) -
Iannotti Lora,
Robles Miguel
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.24.1_supplement.559.9
Subject(s) - calorie , residence , latin americans , consumption (sociology) , economics , food prices , population , almost ideal demand system , shock (circulatory) , geography , food security , demography , environmental health , agricultural economics , socioeconomics , demographic economics , medicine , political science , production (economics) , agriculture , social science , archaeology , sociology , law , macroeconomics , endocrinology
This study examined the effect of the food price crisis (2006–2008) on calorie intakes in Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru. Food consumption and socio‐economic data came from household surveys, and food calories from ProPAN and USDA food composition databases. Applying the quadratic almost ideal demand system (QUAIDS) model, we compared calorie intake levels before and after the price shock and analyzed households in relation to calorie adequacy thresholds in strata based on wealth, area of residence, and age of household members. We found that over one‐half (50–80%) of households were in a worse situation in terms of calorie adequacy after the shock, with the largest reductions in calories observed for Ecuador and Panama. Shifts to the left in the frequency distributions of calorie intakes were apparent in the lower end of the tails especially. Consistent inverse relationships between expenditure quintiles and change in calorie intakes were observed, with the top quintile showing positive changes, suggestive of over‐consumption. Poor rural areas were affected by reductions in energy intakes to the same or to a greater extent than urban areas. Programs or policies may be needed to support population sub‐strata in periods of high food prices.