Cost And Affordability Of Healthy Diets Across And Within Countries

Author : Herforth, A., Bai, Y., Venkat, A., Mahrt, K., Ebel, A. & Masters, W.A.
Publisher : Food & Agriculture Org.
Page : 108 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2020-12-12
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9789251337257

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Cost and affordability of healthy diets across and within countries by Herforth, A., Bai, Y., Venkat, A., Mahrt, K., Ebel, A. & Masters, W.A. Pdf

Price and affordability are key barriers to accessing sufficient, safe, nutritious food to meet dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. In this study, the least-cost items available in local markets are identified to estimate the cost of three diet types: energy sufficient, nutrient adequate, and healthy (meeting food-based dietary guidelines). For price and availability the World Bank’s International Comparison Program (ICP) dataset is used, which provides food prices in local currency units (LCU) for 680 foods and non-alcoholic beverages in 170 countries in 2017. In addition, country case studies are developed with national food price datasets in United Republic of Tanzania, Malawi, Ethiopia, Ghana and Myanmar. The findings reveal that healthy diets by any definition are far more expensive than the entire international poverty line of USD 1.90, let alone the upper bound portion of the poverty line that can credibly be reserved for food of USD 1.20. The cost of healthy diets exceeds food expenditures in most countries in the Global South. The findings suggest that nutrition education and behaviour change alone will not substantially improve dietary consumption where nutrient adequate and healthy diets, even in their cheapest form, are unaffordable for the majority of the poor. To make healthy diets cheaper, agricultural policies, research, and development need to shift toward a diversity of nutritious foods.

Author : Headey, Derek D.,Hirvonen, Kalle,Alderman, Harold
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 56 pages
File Size : 40,9 Mb
Release : 2023-04-24
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Estimating the cost and affordability of healthy diets: How much do methods matter? by Headey, Derek D.,Hirvonen, Kalle,Alderman, Harold Pdf

Cost and affordability of healthy diet (CoAHD) metrics developed in a handful of academic studies have quickly become mainstream food security indicators among major development institutions. The World Bank and FAO now report CoAHD statistics in their widely used databanks, and the UN’s State of Food Insecurity and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) reports CoAHD metrics on an annual basis, with the headline conclusion being that over 3 billion people worldwide cannot afford a healthy diet. While quantifying affordability constraints is indeed a vital addition to the suite of global food security indicators, there is a dearth of scientific analysis on the accuracy and sensitivity of CoAHD methods. Published global CoAHD estimates rely on three implicit assumptions: that demographic differences across countries have little effect on average diet costs; that non-food expenditure requirements have little systematic variation across countries; and that international food price data is representative in a population sense and product coverage sense. Testing these assumptions on the cost of the EAT-Lancet reference diet, we find sizable sensitivity of baseline methods to adjusting diet affordability estimates for systematic cross-country differences in demographic profiles and non-food expenditure requirements, smaller effects of adjusting for inadequate food product coverage in international price data, and inconclusive evidence on issues of urban bias in price surveys. Our proposed methodological improvements significantly change country, regional and global estimates of healthy diet affordability, though not the headline conclusion that several billion people cannot afford a healthy diet. Even so, the accuracy, rigor, and reliability of CoAHD statistics warrant closer investigation given their widespread adoption and utilization.

Author : Holleman, C.,Latino, L.
Publisher : Food & Agriculture Org.
Page : 80 pages
File Size : 47,6 Mb
Release : 2023-12-15
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9789251384961

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Variations in the subnational cost and affordability of a healthy diet for selected countries in Africa by Holleman, C.,Latino, L. Pdf

This background paper to The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023 presents an innovative analysis of within-country variability of the cost and affordability of a healthy diet (CoAHD). The study uses an innovative spatial perspective by analysing the changes along the urban–rural catchment areas (URCA) and using the Living Standards Measurement Studies (LSMS) of 11 African countries. The results show that the cost of a healthy diet in peri-urban areas is lower than it is in urban areas, but the percentage of the population unable to afford a healthy diet is always higher in the surroundings of urban centres. The gap is particularly large between small cities and their surrounding areas, and the share of population unable to secure a healthy diet is disproportionally high in the more remote rural areas. The paper also investigates three methodological issues that were encountered during the analysis to provide evidence on the validity of the FAO Healthy Diet Basket (HDB) methodology for the estimation of subnational cost and affordability of a healthy diet.

Author : Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Publisher : Food & Agriculture Org.
Page : 52 pages
File Size : 50,6 Mb
Release : 2022-08-02
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9789251366905

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Methods and options to monitor the cost and affordability of a healthy diet globally by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Pdf

FAO is focusing its attention on the pursuit of healthy diets and transformations of agrifood systems to ensure healthy diets are affordable for all. Measuring and systematically monitoring the cost and affordability of healthy diets and making progress towards ensuring the affordability of healthy diets is of upmost importance and is urgently needed. To this end, FAO is committed to institutionalize the computation of the least-cost healthy diet, and the corresponding affordability indicator, and to publish updated estimates in the annual The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, as well as provide the full data series on FAOSTAT. This background paper to The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022 report presents the new methodological refinements applied in the estimation of the average cost of a healthy diet. This is an important methodological update as it results in a more robust indicator that provides greater transparency and supports long-term systematic monitoring utilizing annually updated price data. The paper then explores potential mechanisms and data sources for monitoring globally the cost of a healthy diet.

Author : Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ,International Fund for Agricultural Development,World Food Programme,World Health Organization,The United Nations Children's Fund
Publisher : Food & Agriculture Org.
Page : 320 pages
File Size : 45,9 Mb
Release : 2020-07-01
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9789251329016

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The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020 by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ,International Fund for Agricultural Development,World Food Programme,World Health Organization,The United Nations Children's Fund Pdf

Updates for many countries have made it possible to estimate hunger in the world with greater accuracy this year. In particular, newly accessible data enabled the revision of the entire series of undernourishment estimates for China back to 2000, resulting in a substantial downward shift of the series of the number of undernourished in the world. Nevertheless, the revision confirms the trend reported in past editions: the number of people affected by hunger globally has been slowly on the rise since 2014. The report also shows that the burden of malnutrition in all its forms continues to be a challenge. There has been some progress for child stunting, low birthweight and exclusive breastfeeding, but at a pace that is still too slow. Childhood overweight is not improving and adult obesity is on the rise in all regions. The report complements the usual assessment of food security and nutrition with projections of what the world may look like in 2030, if trends of the last decade continue. Projections show that the world is not on track to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030 and, despite some progress, most indicators are also not on track to meet global nutrition targets. The food security and nutritional status of the most vulnerable population groups is likely to deteriorate further due to the health and socio economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report puts a spotlight on diet quality as a critical link between food security and nutrition. Meeting SDG 2 targets will only be possible if people have enough food to eat and if what they are eating is nutritious and affordable. The report also introduces new analysis of the cost and affordability of healthy diets around the world, by region and in different development contexts. It presents valuations of the health and climate-change costs associated with current food consumption patterns, as well as the potential cost savings if food consumption patterns were to shift towards healthy diets that include sustainability considerations. The report then concludes with a discussion of the policies and strategies to transform food systems to ensure affordable healthy diets, as part of the required efforts to end both hunger and all forms of malnutrition.

Author : Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ,World Food Programme ,World Health Organization ,United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund 
Publisher : Food & Agriculture Org.
Page : 120 pages
File Size : 53,8 Mb
Release : 2021-01-19
Category : Health & Fitness
ISBN : 9789251338537

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Asia and the Pacific Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2020 by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations ,World Food Programme ,World Health Organization ,United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund  Pdf

The 2020 report on the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the Asia and Pacific region, provides an update on progress towards the 2030 targets (SDGs and WHA) at the regional and country level. Selected indicators look at undernourishment, food insecurity, childhood stunting, wasting and overweight, adult overweight, child minimum acceptable diet, exclusive and continued breastfeeding, and anaemia in women and children. While the region continues to work towards ending all forms of malnutrition and achieving Zero Hunger, progress on food security and nutrition has slowed, and the Asia and Pacific region is not on track to achieving 2030 targets. About 350.6 million people in the Asia and Pacific region are estimated to have been undernourished in 2019, about 51 percent of the global total. An estimated 74.5 million children under five years of age were stunted and a total of 31.5 million were wasted in the Asia and Pacific region. The majority of these children in the region live in Southern Asia with 55.9 million stunted and 25.2 million wasted children. Estimates predict a 14.3 percent increase in the prevalence of moderate or severe wasting among children under 5 years of age, equal to an additional 6.7 million children, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With basic food prices and disposable incomes influencing household decisions on food and dietary intake, they are critical to improve food security and nutrition in the region. However, in the Asia and Pacific region, 1.9 billion people are unable to afford a healthy diet, driven by high prices of fruits, vegetables and dairy products, making it impossible for the poor to achieve healthy diets.In Part 2, the 2020 report promotes a systems approach to healthy maternal and child diets, involving and coordinating institutions and actors in the Food, Water and Sanitation, Health, Social Protection and Education systems, to collectively create the enabling environment for healthy diets. Integration of healthy diets and nutrition-focused Social Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) mainstreamed throughout these systems will lead to greater uptake and sustainability of healthy behaviours and caregiver’s knowledge.

Author : Pauw, Karl,Ecker, Olivier,Thurlow, James,Comstock, Andrew R.
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 38 pages
File Size : 45,8 Mb
Release : 2021-12-22
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Costing healthy diets and measuring deprivation: New indicators and modeling approaches by Pauw, Karl,Ecker, Olivier,Thurlow, James,Comstock, Andrew R. Pdf

One of the greatest global challenges today is ensuring widespread availability and equitable access to affordable, nutritious foods produced in an environmentally sustainable manner. A rich literature exists around the definition of a healthy diet and the drivers of dietary change. We contribute to this literature by proposing a new quantifiable diet deprivation measure estimated from standard household consumption and expenditure surveys. The Reference Diet Deprivation (ReDD) index measures the incidence, breadth, and depth of diet deprivation across multiple, essential food groups in a single indicator. Although useful as a standalone measure, we show how ReDD can be integrated into an economywide model to examine changes in household diet quality under different simulation scenarios. Using Nigeria as case study, hypothetical agricultural productivity growth scenarios reveal that dairy, pulses, fruit, and red meat value chains have the greatest potential to reduce overall diet deprivation in Nigeria per unit of GDP growth generated, while productivity growth in more widely consumed crops such as cereals and root crops do little to improve diet quality. These findings have implications for the prioritization of agricultural development initiatives aimed at improving the quality of diets. More generally, the integration of a diet quality indicator in an economywide model allows for a deeper understanding of the drivers of dietary change.

Author : Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,International Fund for Agricultural Development,United Nations Children's Fund,World Food Programme,World Health Organization
Publisher : Food & Agriculture Org.
Page : 316 pages
File Size : 44,5 Mb
Release : 2023-07-12
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9789251372265

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The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2023 by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,International Fund for Agricultural Development,United Nations Children's Fund,World Food Programme,World Health Organization Pdf

This report provides an update on global progress towards the targets of ending hunger (SDG Target 2.1) and all forms of malnutrition (SDG Target 2.2) and estimates on the number of people who are unable to afford a healthy diet. Since its 2017 edition, this report has repeatedly highlighted that the intensification and interaction of conflict, climate extremes and economic slowdowns and downturns, combined with highly unaffordable nutritious foods and growing inequality, are pushing us off track to meet the SDG 2 targets. However, other important megatrends must also be factored into the analysis to fully understand the challenges and opportunities for meeting the SDG 2 targets. One such megatrend, and the focus of this year’s report, is urbanization. New evidence shows that food purchases in some countries are no longer high only among urban households but also among rural households. Consumption of highly processed foods is also increasing in peri-urban and rural areas of some countries. These changes are affecting people’s food security and nutrition in ways that differ depending on where they live across the rural–urban continuum. This timely and relevant theme is aligned with the United Nations General Assembly-endorsed New Urban Agenda, and the report provides recommendations on the policies, investments and actions needed to address the challenges of agrifood systems transformation under urbanization and to enable opportunities for ensuring access to affordable healthy diets for everyone.

Author : Raghunathan, Kalyani,Headey, Derek D.,Herforth, Anna
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 54 pages
File Size : 54,9 Mb
Release : 2020-03-11
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Affordability of nutritious diets in rural India by Raghunathan, Kalyani,Headey, Derek D.,Herforth, Anna Pdf

Malnutrition is endemic in India. In 2015-16 some 38% of preschool children were stunted and 21% were wasted, while more than half of Indian mothers and children were anemic. There are many posited explanations for the high rates of malnutrition in India, but surprisingly few discuss the role of Indian diets, particularly the affordability of nutritious diets given low wages and the significant structural problems facing India’s agricultural sector. This study was undertaken to address knowledge gaps around the affordability of nutritious diets in rural India. To do so we used nationally representative rural price and wage data to estimate the least cost means of satisfying India-specific dietary recommendations, referred to as the Cost of a Recommended Diet (CoRD), and assess the affordability of this diet relative to male and female wages for unskilled laborers. Although we find that dietary costs increased substantially over 2001-2011 for both men and women, rural wage rates increased more rapidly, implying that nutritious diets became substantially more affordable over time. However, in absolute terms nutritious diets in 2011 were still expensive relative to unskilled wages, constituting approximately 50-60% of male and about 70-80% of female daily wages, and were often even higher relative to minimum wages earned from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Since many poor households have significant numbers of dependents and substantial non-food expenditure requirements, it follows that nutritious diets are often highly unaffordable for the rural poor; we estimate that 45-64% of the rural poor cannot afford a nutritious diet that meets India’s national food-based dietary guidelines. Our results point to the need to more closely monitor food prices through a nutritional lens, and to shift India’s existing food policies away from their heavy bias towards cereals. Achieving nutritional security in India requires a much more holistic focus on improving the affordability of the full range of nutritious food groups and ensuring that economic growth results in sustained income growth for the poor.

Author : Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity (MAPSA)
Publisher : Intl Food Policy Res Inst
Page : 13 pages
File Size : 49,7 Mb
Release : 2023-04-24
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 8210379456XXX

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Monitoring the agri-food system in Myanmar: The rising costs of diets and declining purchasing power of casual wage laborers: June 2020 - February 2023 by Myanmar Agriculture Policy Support Activity (MAPSA) Pdf

We assess changes in food prices and purchasing power of casual wage laborers based on large-scale surveys of food vendors (fielded from June 2020 until February 2023) and households in rural and urban areas and in all state/regions of Myanmar. Key findings  Over the full period (June 2020 - February 2023), the cost of the healthy diet rose by 72 percent and the common diet by 82 percent.  Prices for rice –the major staple– increased by 62 percent between March 2022 and February 2023.  The costs of a common and healthy diet increased especially over the year 2022, by 50 and 51 percent respectively between Q1 of 2022 and Q4 of 2022.  Diet costs increased more in rural areas compared to urban areas and more in the Dry Zone and coastal areas – which are more affected by conflicts – compared to the national average.  The value of daily wages of construction and agricultural wage laborers relative to common and healthy diet costs declined by about 25 and 28 percent over the year 2022.  Food costs are outpacing wages, making food increasingly unaffordable for wage earners who are among the most vulnerable household groups in Myanmar, particularly in rural areas. Recommended actions  Food should be available at low costs to avoid food insecurity and nutrition problems in the country; assuring a well-functioning agri-food system should therefore be a priority for all stakeholders.  Casual wage workers are among the poorest and their situation is worsening. They should therefore be targeted in social safety net programs.  It is important to closely monitor food prices and the wages of the poor - they are good proxies for purchasing power and welfare and can be measured at high frequency.

Author : Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,World Health Organization
Publisher : Food & Agriculture Org.
Page : 42 pages
File Size : 53,9 Mb
Release : 2019-10-15
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9789251318751

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Sustainable healthy diets by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,World Health Organization Pdf

Considering the detrimental environmental impact of current food systems, and the concerns raised about their sustainability, there is an urgent need to promote diets that are healthy and have low environmental impacts. These diets also need to be socio-culturally acceptable and economically accessible for all. Acknowledging the existence of diverging views on the concepts of sustainable diets and healthy diets, countries have requested guidance from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) on what constitutes sustainable healthy diets. These guiding principles take a holistic approach to diets; they consider international nutrition recommendations; the environmental cost of food production and consumption; and the adaptability to local social, cultural and economic contexts. This publication aims to support the efforts of countries as they work to transform food systems to deliver on sustainable healthy diets, contributing to the achievement of the SDGs at country level, especially Goals 1 (No Poverty), 2 (Zero Hunger), 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), 4 (Quality Education), 5 (Gender Equality) and 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and 13 (Climate Action).

Author : Hettie Carina Schönfeldt,Gloria Essilfie,Yunyun Gong
Publisher : Frontiers Media SA
Page : 195 pages
File Size : 50,8 Mb
Release : 2024-05-06
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9782832548837

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New Challenges and Future Perspectives in Nutrition and Sustainable Diets in Africa by Hettie Carina Schönfeldt,Gloria Essilfie,Yunyun Gong Pdf

Africa is confronted with the triple burden of malnutrition; it is also faced with the triple challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment. In many African countries, large proportions of the population rely on agriculture not only for their food - but also for their livelihoods. A transformed agricultural and food system is thus a necessary condition for addressing this double-triple challenge. Additionally, post harvest and food waste and losses reduce the availability of sufficient quantities of safe, edible and preferable foods. At least one third of food produced at farm level is lost due to inappropriate storage, infrastructure and agro-processing technologies in developing countries; and one third of food purchased is wasted at household and retail level.

Author : Joachim von Braun,Kaosar Afsana,Louise O. Fresco,Mohamed Hag Ali Hassan
Publisher : Springer Nature
Page : 931 pages
File Size : 48,6 Mb
Release : 2023-01-01
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9783031157035

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Science and Innovations for Food Systems Transformation by Joachim von Braun,Kaosar Afsana,Louise O. Fresco,Mohamed Hag Ali Hassan Pdf

This Open Access book compiles the findings of the Scientific Group of the United Nations Food Systems Summit 2021 and its research partners. The Scientific Group was an independent group of 28 food systems scientists from all over the world with a mandate from the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. The chapters provide science- and research-based, state-of-the-art, solution-oriented knowledge and evidence to inform the transformation of contemporary food systems in order to achieve more sustainable, equitable and resilient systems.

Author : Samara Brock,Minna Kanerva,Chris Béné,Sophia Efstathiou,Michael Clark
Publisher : Frontiers Media SA
Page : 108 pages
File Size : 50,6 Mb
Release : 2024-04-19
Category : Science
ISBN : 9782832548264

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How to achieve a planetary health diet through system and paradigm change? by Samara Brock,Minna Kanerva,Chris Béné,Sophia Efstathiou,Michael Clark Pdf

Author : Tshifhumulo, Rendani,Makhanikhe, Tshimangadzo Justice
Publisher : IGI Global
Page : 461 pages
File Size : 40,7 Mb
Release : 2021-10-08
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9781799874935

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Handbook of Research on Protecting and Managing Global Indigenous Knowledge Systems by Tshifhumulo, Rendani,Makhanikhe, Tshimangadzo Justice Pdf

Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) are a combination of knowledge systems encompassing technology; social, economic, and philosophical learning; or educational, legal, and governance systems. The lack of documentation of these systems presents a problem as the knowledge is fading away over time. In response, it is essential that policies and strategies are undertaken to ensure that these systems are protected and sustained for generations to come. The Handbook of Research on Protecting and Managing Global Indigenous Knowledge Systems is a comprehensive reference source that works to preserve indigenous knowledge systems through research. Focusing on key concepts such as tools of indigenous knowledge management and African indigenous symbols, the book preserves and promotes indigenous knowledge through research and fills the void staff and students within the field of indigenous knowledge systems face with the current lack of research and resources. This book is ideal for university students, lecturers, researchers, academicians, policymakers, historians, sociologists, and anyone interested in the field of indigenous knowledge systems.