Capita Calorie Consumption Research Articles

Incorporating Seasonality into an Agroeconomic Model of Ethiopia

Ethiopia’s agriculture-based economy generates highly seasonal outputs, with most production occurring during the long-rains Meher season and a lesser amount during the short-rains Belg season. Despite numerous studies detailing the economic impacts of Meher precipitation, there is relatively little consideration of other seasonal or subseasonal climate impacts in Ethiopia, with most economic models only considering aggregated annual-scale production to simulate the Ethiopian economy. This paper serves to address both seasonal and subseasonal effects of climate using a partial equilibrium agroeconomic model of Ethiopia. First, an annual-scale model is disaggregated into a seasonal time step, corresponding to the two major cropping seasons in Ethiopia. Second, the effect of yield gains from a subseasonal forecast–based planting strategy is considered in the updated model. We found that crop yields and corresponding economic indicators varied widely by season and location, and that subseasonal forecast–based management strategies can, on average, increase gross domestic product (GDP), per capita calorie consumption, and lead toward reduced poverty, warranting the inclusion of seasonal and subseasonal processes in economic models and agricultural planning.

Determinants of Households’ Food Security in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nigeria

The study examined the determinants of households’ food security in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nigeria. The study used a multi-stage sampling procedure to select eighty respondents with the aid of a structured questionnaire. Data were collected randomly from four communities and analyzed using a combination of descriptive statistics, food security index and probit regression model. The results revealed that food secure households had an average daily per capita calorie consumption of 3854.46Kcal while the households that were food insecure had an average daily per capita calorie consumption of 1564.3Kcal. The results of probit regression revealed that, household size, level of education, household head’s income and number of income earners were significant determinants of food security among households . Level of education, household head’s income and number of income earners influenced food security positively while household size affected it negatively. Based on the findings of the study, it was therefore recommended that households should diversify their sources of income and register with cooperative societies which may be necessary for them to access funds and also there should be limit in population size through integrated health and education services. Keywords: Determinants, Food Security, Households, Probit Model DOI: 10.7176/JESD/12-22-04 Publication date: November 30 th 2021

The impact of improved agricultural technologies on household food security of smallholders in Central Ethiopia: An endogenous switching estimation

AbstractCombinations of improved agricultural technologies adoption have a significant effect on agricultural productivity and household food security. Their synergies improve soil fertility and suppress weeds, pests, and diseases. Many studies in Ethiopia analyze the impacts of improved technologies adoption in isolation rather than in combinations; little attention was given on multiple combinations of improved technologies adoption on household food security. This study analyses the impact of combinations of improved agricultural technologies adoption on household food security (per capita calorie consumption, dietary diversity score, and food consumption score). Data were collected from household survey questionnaire, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews. An endogenous switching regression model is applied to analyze the impacts through adoption decisions by farm households which can be adopted in various combinations. We find that the adoption of improved agricultural technologies increases dietary energy supply, dietary diversity, and food consumption score significantly and the greatest impact is obtained when improved technologies adopting in combinations rather than in isolation. The adoption of multiple combinations of improved technologies has substantial effects that improve the food security status of smallholders in the study areas. This implies that agricultural research, extension, policymakers, and other actors to promote a combination of improved agricultural technologies to improve household food security through increasing productivity and income.

Adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices and differentiated nutritional outcome among rural households: a case of Punjab province, Pakistan

Climate change impacts on agriculture have substantial implications on human diet and nutrition. This study explored the factors affecting the adoption decisions of climate-smart agricultural practices through a multivariate probit model and then assessed the average effect of these adopted practices on rural households’ food diversity and per capita dietary intake by using propensity score matching. For this purpose, a total of 196 rural households from the Punjab province were selected through a multi-stage purposive and random sampling procedure for face to face survey. According to research results, the family type was found positively associated with the adoption of all climate-smart agricultural practices. More than 50% of the total daily per capita calorie and iron consumption of rural households is provided by the cereal crops. The Simpson food diversity index indicates that rural households adopting a higher number of practices consume more diversified food as compared to rural households with a lower number of practices at their farm. Moreover, the difference between the per capita calorie intake of full adopters and multiple adopters is the lowest as compared to the difference between full adopters and partial adopters and the difference between full adopters and single adopters. Thus, adopting more climate-smart agricultural practices increase calorie intake more than adopting fewer practices at the farm. Given a positive association between the level of adoption and food diversity as well as nutritional outcomes, government agencies should create awareness among the rural community about the benefits of adopting more climate-smart agricultural practices through visiting fields and organizing regular training for better nutrition.

India’s calorie consumption puzzle: insights from the stochastic cost frontier analysis of calorie purchases

Between the early 1970s and very nearly the present, Indians’ per capita calorie consumption declined. This decline, perplexing in the face of rising per capita income when malnutrition is rampant, has been termed India’s Calorie Consumption Puzzle. It has been partially attributed to a squeeze in the household food budget. This study employs Stochastic Cost Frontier Analysis to evaluate this explanation, upon the logic that such a squeeze shall likely result in the rising cost-efficiency of calorie purchases, that is, the more economical purchase of calories. Analysis of household expenditure data from India’s National Sample Survey reveals that Indian households’ purchase of calories did become more cost-efficient at every level of income, suggesting that there was indeed a squeeze in the household food budget, making this a viable explanation of the Calorie Consumption Puzzle. Besides thus investigating India’s Calorie Consumption Puzzle, this study demonstrates a novel application of Stochastic Cost Frontier Analysis, to consumption instead of the more common production, in that the method has not previously been applied to the consumption of multiple items treated as inputs yielding an output. Stochastic Cost Frontier Analysis applied to calorie acquisition may be a new way of gauging changes over time in food security, with a rise in cost-efficiency indicating a squeeze in the food budget or declining food security.

Household food security through dairy farming in Sirajganj district, Bangladesh

Food security exists when all people, at all times, have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to maintain healthy and productive lives. This study was carried out to investigate the household food security status of dairy farmer at three villages of Shahjadpur Upazila of Sirajganj District. This study was based on primary data and a semi-structured interview schedule was used for collecting data during January to March 2018. Data were collected from a random sample of 60 where the total dairy farmers were 240. Food security status of household of dairy farmer was measured on the basis of their per capita calorie consumption per day. Pearson’s Product Moment Coefficient Correlation (r) was computed to explore the relationship of the respondents selected characteristics and their food security status. It is 40% percent moderately food secured per year, 25% household had food secured per year and 35% households were low food secured per year. Dairy farmer’s Annual income, training, experience, credit received had a significant positive relationship with their household food security status. The Findings of the study would be helpful for policy makers. Government and non-government organizations work for development of tribal people; this study may help them achieve their goal. It will be helpful for the government to ensure their food security in the sense that they may be aware of the food insecure situation if the findings of the study are revealed to them
 Res. Agric., Livest. Fish.6(3): 379-387, December 2019

India's Calorie Consumption Puzzle: Insights from the Stochastic Cost Frontier Analysis of Calorie Purchases

Between the early 1970s and very nearly the present, Indians' per capita calorie consumption declined. This decline, perplexing in the face of rising per capita income when malnutrition is rampant, has been termed India's Calorie Consumption Puzzle. It has been partially attributed to a squeeze in the household food budget. This study employs Stochastic Cost Frontier Analysis to evaluate this explanation, upon the logic that such a squeeze shall likely result in the rising cost-efficiency of calorie purchases, that is, the more economical purchase of calories. Analysis of household expenditure data from India's National Sample Survey reveals that Indian households' purchase of calories did become more cost-efficient at every level of income, suggesting that there was indeed a squeeze in the household food budget, making this a viable explanation of the Calorie Consumption Puzzle. Besides thus investigating India's Calorie Consumption Puzzle, this study demonstrates a novel application of Stochastic Cost Frontier Analysis, to consumption instead of the more common production, in that the method has not previously been applied to the consumption of multiple items treated as inputs yielding an output. Stochastic Cost Frontier Analysis applied to calorie acquisition may be a new way of gauging changes over time in food security, with a rise in cost-efficiency indicating a squeeze in the food budget or declining food security.

Biotechnological strategies for improved photosynthesis in a future of elevated atmospheric CO2.

The improvement of photosynthesis using biotechnological approaches has been the focus of much research. It is now vital that these strategies be assessed under future atmospheric conditions. The demand for crop products is expanding at an alarming rate due to population growth, enhanced affluence, increased per capita calorie consumption, and an escalating need for plant-based bioproducts. While solving this issue will undoubtedly involve a multifaceted approach, improving crop productivity will almost certainly provide one piece of the puzzle. The improvement of photosynthetic efficiency has been a long-standing goal of plant biotechnologists as possibly one of the last remaining means of achieving higher yielding crops. However, the vast majority of these studies have not taken into consideration possible outcomes when these plants are grown long-term under the elevated CO2 concentrations (e[CO2]) that will be evident in the not too distant future. Due to the considerable effect that CO2 levels have on the photosynthetic process, these assessments should become commonplace as a means of ensuring that research in this field focuses on the most effective approaches for our future climate scenarios. In this review, we discuss the main biotechnological research strategies that are currently underway with the aim of improving photosynthetic efficiency and biomass production/yields in the context of a future of e[CO2], as well as alternative approaches that may provide further photosynthetic benefits under these conditions.

Prevalence and detecting spatial clustering of diabetes at the district level in India

Diabetes is increasingly becoming a prevalent disease in developing countries such as India. This has raised great concern among public health practitioners, researchers and policy makers. The present study aims to examine the geographical variations in the prevalence of diabetes and its contextual risk factors including production and consumption of different food groups in the districts of India. We used state- and district-level data from multiple sources. These include National Family Health Survey-4 (2015–2016), socio-economic data from the census of India (2011), per capita crop production from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers and consumption of different food groups from the 68th round of the National Sample Survey. The study adopted advanced spatial statistical analysis including the Moran index and spatial regression to fulfil the objectives of the article. The study reveals the remarkable geographical variations in diabetes risk in the districts of India. Districts from the coastal area have more diabetes prevalence. Per capita calorie consumption, calorie intake from sugar and production of sugar crops in districts are significantly positively related to diabetes prevalence. On the other hand, protein intake and calorie consumption from pulses and nuts and milk and dairy products reduce the risk of diabetes. The study recommends that public health programmes target hot-spot districts with high prevalence of diabetes and encourage people to increase consumption of protein-rich diets including pulses, nuts and milk products to reduce diabetes prevalence.

Advancing a new index for measuring household vulnerability to food insecurity

This paper develops a Vulnerability to Food Insecurity Index (VFII). Currently, there is no standard indicator of vulnerability analysis in food security research, and this paper responds to this challenge. The primary objective in this paper is to demonstrate how to develop a potential indicator and establish its validity through comparison with other traditional food security indicators, such as per capita calorie consumption (PCC), food consumption score (FCS) and the coping strategy index (CPI). Structurally, Vulnerability to Food Insecurity Index is a multidimensional index of the probability of covariate shock occurring (exposure), the accumulative experience of food insecurity (sensitivity) and coping ability of households (adaptive capacity). The paper applies the index to households in southern Nigeria, using the World Bank’s generalised household panel dataset. The results show 61% of households in the study to be highly vulnerable to food insecurity, 12% mildly vulnerable and 27% not vulnerable. Traditional and single indicators, such as FCS and PCC are not good indicators of vulnerability to food insecurity whereas CPI is a better indicator of vulnerability to food insecurity compared to FCS and PCC. The VFII developed in this paper includes components of FCS, PCC, and CPI and regarding ranking, the VFII was found to be reliable. Most importantly, the analysis using the VFII reveals how dietary diversity or calorie consumption indicators can exclude some households who are vulnerable to food insecurity. The paper concluded that accurately target long-term support to vulnerable households, policymakers who seek to address the underlying causes of food insecurity cannot rely on single indicators, and for this type of goal, the VFII makes a useful contribution.

Looking Past the Indian Calorie Debate: What is Happening to Nutrition Transition in India

We utilise large national household datasets for 1993–1994, 2004–2005 and 2011–2012 to analyse factors influencing changing patterns in per capita calorie consumption in India. Our study findings demonstrate the significance of the disease environment in which people live, with those living in healthy areas having lower calorie consumption than those living in less healthy ones. Calorie intake has been falling in India, but the study findings reveal that fat calorie intake has been rising successively over time among the rural and poorer urban sub-populations raising concerns for policy-makers that non-communicable diseases are expected to rise for these vulnerable population groups.

Food Security Status of Tribal People at Mohadevpur Upazila in Naogaon District

The study examines the food security analysis of households of tribal people at three villages of Mohadevpur Upazila of Naogoan District. Data were collected from a random sample of 63 where the total tribal people were 252. A structured interview schedule and focus group discussion were used for collecting data during July to September 2016. Food security condition of households of tribal people was measured on the basis of their per capita calorie consumption per day. Pearson’s Product Moment Coefficient Correlation (r) was computed to explore relationship of the respondents’ selected characteristics and their food security condition. The major findings of the study were that education level, house land size, cultivable area, annual household income, training experience, credit received and perceived strategies to increase food security had significant positive impact on food security (calorie intake) but age had significant negative impact on their household food security (calorie intake). Most of the households were (71percent) moderately food secured, 21 percent household had food secured and 8 percent households were low food secured per year. Government and NGOs should provide various types of training on agriculture and non-agriculture of tribal people. Government should take some safety net programs during climatic events such as drought, river erosion etc. Government, different NGOs and development agencies should give attention to improve their income through adopting some income generating activities.J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 10(1): 71-74 2017

Effects of U.S. Public Agricultural R&D on U.S. Obesity and its Social Costs

AbstractHow much has food abundance, attributable to U.S. public agricultural R&D, contributed to high and rising U.S. obesity rates? In this paper we investigate the effects of public investment in agricultural R&D on food prices, per capita calorie consumption, adult body weight, obesity, public healthcare expenditures related to obesity, and consumer welfare. We find that a 10% increase in the stream of annual U.S. public investment in agricultural R&D in the latter half of the twentieth century would have caused a modest increase in the average daily calorie consumption of American adults, resulting in small increases in public healthcare expenditures related to obesity. On the other hand, such an increase in spending would have generated very substantial consumer benefits, and net national benefits, given the very large benefit‐cost ratios for agricultural R&D. This implies that current policy objectives of revising agricultural R&D priorities to pursue obesity objectives are likely to be comparatively unproductive and socially wasteful. Moreover, R&D lags of decades mean that such an approach would be totally ineffective in the immediate horizon.

Measuring food security status among households in Osun State, Nigeria

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the food security status of 150 households in Osun state of Nigeria. The study area was chosen because relatively little energy consumption data are available concerning this geographical location.Design/methodology/approach– The study used both primary and secondary data. The suitable households sample was chosen by multi-stage random sampling technique. The methodology employed to group the households into either food secure or food insecure is by comparing daily per capita calorie consumption by each household with the threshold daily per capita calorie requirement of 2,710 kcal/day/adult equivalent. This method has proven to be efficient in measuring food security at household level.Findings– The results of the study reveal that majority of the households surveyed are food insecure that is their daily per capita calorie intake falls below the recommended daily per capita calorie requirement. The food insecure households constitute 54 per cent, surplus index of 0.36 per cent and food insecurity gap of 0.0038.Research limitations/implications– The greatest limitation to this study is the inability to collect data on the distribution of income, budget share on foods and socio-economic characteristics of the households to determine how their food security status is influenced due to impediments such as time, limited resources to collect a complete dataset used for the study. Also, recalling accurately the foods eaten in the last 24-hour was difficult for some of the household heads especially the aged ones and precise measurement of foods portion were also not accurate in some cases.Practical implications– The findings of the study will help the stakeholders in food sector in policy formulations and also serve as reference for other researchers who will work on similar topic.Social implications– The revelation that majority of the households are lacking in calorie intake will provide guidance for stakeholders in food sector to put in place efforts that will improve balance between food production and accessibility.Originality/value– The study used original data collected directly from the households for the study using structured questionnaires and the reference materials from secondary sources are appropriately cited. Also, it is worthy to note that not many studies have been carried out in the study area on food security especially in the rural areas.

Quantitative study on socio-economic determinants of health

India, as a part of the world community, has pledged to halve hunger by 2015, as stated in Millennium Development Goal (MDG, 2010), but the present trends show that this target is unlikely to be met. Nutrition indicators in India have stagnated and per capita calorie consumption has actually declined, suggesting that the problem of hunger may have got worse rather than better. It is home to about 25 per cent of the world's hungry poor (FAO, 2009). Forty eight per cent of children under the age of five years are malnourished in India, which is over a third of the world's 150 million malnourished under-fives. India is home to 42 per cent of the world's underweight children and 31 per cent of its stunted children (UNICEF, 2009b). It is estimated that 3 per cent of GDP is lost by physical impairments caused by malnutrition in Asian countries (Economist, 2010a). Nearly all studies examining health service utilization support that preventive visits improve overall health and reduce maternal and child mortality substantially. There is a strong relationship between women's empowerment and health. Only 27.1 per cent of women in India seem to be able to make a decision about their own health care, while 30.1 per cent of decisions are made by husbands. While 62.2 per cent of women decide on their own or jointly with their husbands about their health care, this seems to improve with education levels (NFHS-3, 2005–06). Only 60.3 per cent of urban women and 41.5 per cent of rural women are allowed to go alone to a health facility. However, the situation seems to improve with age, education and employment status. All this indicates that there is a need for economic and educational empowerment of women in order to improve their basic access to health care (Nayak & Mahanta, 2008). Using linear and multiple regressions the paper analyzes state level data to examine the influence of socio-economic factors on reduction of infant mortality rate of the states and union territories (UTs) of India. IMR of the states were inversely related to their female literacy rates (slope =-0.992, P < 0.0001). Multiple linear regression also revealed a significant inverse relationship between IMR and female literacy (slope =-0.8975, P < 0.0009).

Whole-System Agricultural Certification: Using Lessons Learned from LEED to Build a Resilient Agricultural System to Adapt to Climate Change

This Article proposes a novel approach to addressing global climate change’s impacts on agricultural production and food security. The climate change crisis is the most significant environmental issue facing our planet. The changes predicted to occur as the earth’s climate warms include significant impacts to agriculture. At the same time that the planet is undergoing dramatic climatic changes, the global population is increasing, and economic development in many parts of the world is exerting increased demand for a greater and more diverse supply of food. The relationship between climate change and agriculture is a close and complex one, as the current system of agricultural production both contributes to, and will be impacted by, the effects of increased climate change phenomena. On the one hand, fossil fuel-intensive practices associated with the current industrialized agricultural system significantly contribute to the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions considered to be the major cause of climate change. On the other, the predicted changes in global temperature and rainfall patterns associated with climate change have the potential to dramatically impact agricultural production. Changing weather conditions associated with climate change will likely impact agricultural production, affect food pricing, and reduce both global per capita calorie consumption and the nutritional value of some food, thereby increasing child malnutrition. Because of the close

Food Security Condition of Landless People in a Char Area of Rangpur District

The study was conducted to investigate the food security condition of households of landless char people at Purba Isli village of Lakshmitary union, Gangachara Upazila of Rangpur District. Data were collected from a random sample of 80 where the total landless char people were 400. A structured interview schedule was used for collecting data during April to May 2012. Food security condition of households of landless char people was measured on the basis of their per capita calorie consumption per day. Coefficient of correlation (r) was computed to explore relationship of the respondents’ selected characteristics and their food security condition. More than half (57.5 per cent) of the households were food secure and energy intake was 2122 kcal/person/day. On the other hand, 21.3 per cent household were food insecure and consumed between 1805 and 2121 kcal/person/ day and 21.3 per cent households were found severely food insecure and calorie intake was less than 1805 kcal/person/day. Thus, it can be concluded that nearly half of the landless char people were food insecure. Landless char people’s year of schooling, landlessness category, annual household income, training experience, and credit received, extension media contact, involvement in NGO, perceived strategies to cope with food insecurity and perception of organizational food insecurity mitigation initiatives had significant positive relationship with their household food security condition.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/pa.v24i1-2.19180 Progress. Agric. 24(1&amp;2): 281 - 289, 2013

The Fat Lie

The rise in obesity in recent decades is popularly believed to be the result of increased consumption of calories in general and sugar in particular. Campaigners have called for product reformulation, fat taxes and other anti-market policies to reduce calorie consumption at the population level. All the evidence indicates that per capita consumption of sugar, salt, fat and calories has been falling in Britain for decades. Per capita sugar consumption has fallen by 16 per cent since 1992 and per capita calorie consumption has fallen by 21 per cent since 1974. Since 2002, the average body weight of English adults has increased by two kilograms. This has coincided with a decline in calorie consumption of 4.1 per cent and a decline in sugar consumption of 7.4 per cent. The rise in obesity has been primarily caused by a decline in physical activity at home and in the workplace, not an increase in sugar, fat or calorie consumption.

The impact of migration on food consumption patterns: The case of Vietnam

This paper explores the relationship between migration and consumption patterns using panel data from the 2004 and 2006 Vietnam Household Living Standards Surveys. Employing an instrumental variable approach to control for the endogeneity of migration, our results indicate that short-term migration has a positive effect on overall per capita food expenditures, per capita calorie consumption and food diversity. Long-term migration also appears to be positively related to consumption, but impacts are often insignificant and of a lesser magnitude than short-term migration. The results provide no evidence of negative effects of migration, and support the view that short-term migration is a mechanism by which households maintain food security. The results suggest that to improve food security the Vietnamese government should enact policies that facilitate short-term migration flows as well as the transferring of remittances.

Nutrition in India: Facts and Interpretations

In spite of India?s rapid economic growth, there has been a sustained decline in per capita calorie consumption during the last twenty-five years. While the decline has been largest among better-off households, it has taken place throughout the range of household per capita total expenditure. For both adults and children, anthropometric indicators of nutritional status in India are among the worst in the world. While these indicators have shown improvement over time, the rate of progress is slow relative to what might be expected based on international and historical experience. This paper presents the basic facts about growth, poverty and nutrition in India, it points to a number of puzzles, and it sketches a preliminary story that is consistent with the evidence. The reduction in calorie consumption cannot be attributed to declining real incomes, nor to any increase in the relative price of food. Our leading hypothesis, on which much work remains to be done, is that, as real incomes and wages have increased, leading to some nutritional improvement, there has been an offsetting reduction in calorie requirements due to declining levels of physical activity and possibly also to various improvements in the health environment. If correct, this analysis does not imply that Indians are currently adequately nourished; nothing could be further from the truth. Calorie intake has serious limitations as a nutritional intake; while calories are extremely important, there are too many sources of variation in calorie requirements for standard, invariant, calorie-norms to be usefully applied to large sections of the population. We conclude with a plea for better, and more regular, monitoring of nutritional status in India.