Abstract
Due to the high prevalence of diet related diseases and malnutrition, assessing dietary choices in terms of a healthy diet is essential in the Sri Lankan context. By utilizing the Household Income and Expenditure Survey, 2006/07, Linear Approximation of the Almost Ideal Demand System (LA/AIDS) was employed to estimate price and expenditure elasticities, while paying particular concern to the infrequency of purchase. The results revealed that own and relative prices, real expenditure, demographic and socio-economic characteristics will immensely affect the dietary choices and income related policies will have a more impact on promoting food consumption. Hence, the government should pay more attention to these aspects when establishing policies.
Highlights
Food demand patterns of a particular country play a vital role in developing policies
A number of studies have been published on the subject in developing countries like South Africa (Agbola, 2003), Tanzania (Weliwita et al 2003), India (Kumar et al 2011), Pakistan (Mudassar, 2012), Nigeria (Fashogbon and Oni, 2013) etc., there is a paucity of studies on food demand behaviour of Sri Lankans in the published literature
This study examined the demand for a healthy diet in Sri Lanka, employing the LA/Almost Ideal Demand System (AIDS) model
Summary
Food demand patterns of a particular country play a vital role in developing policies. They assist to improve the nutritional status of individuals and households through identifying the most appropriate policy interventions. They help the government in which food subsidy strategies should be implemented. Primary attention has been paid in the past to the estimation of food demand elasticities in developed countries A number of studies have been published on the subject in developing countries like South Africa (Agbola, 2003), Tanzania (Weliwita et al 2003), India (Kumar et al 2011), Pakistan (Mudassar, 2012), Nigeria (Fashogbon and Oni, 2013) etc., there is a paucity of studies on food demand behaviour of Sri Lankans in the published literature
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