Lower Food Prices Research Articles

Do SNAP Recipients Get the Best Prices?

This paper examines the relationship between SNAP participation and prices paid for food items. To test this relationship, we develop an expensiveness index following the method of Aguiar and Hurst (2007) and use the FoodAPS data set. Using both ordinary least squares (OLS) method and controlling for endogeneity using instrumental variable approaches, we did no find an effect of SNAP participation on prices paid for food items when we controlled for shopping behavior and habits and food market variables. Our results suggest that SNAP participants are not systematically disadvantaged in their food purchases. Additional efforts to further educate SNAP participants on saving, effective shopping and budgeting habits may help households pay comparatively lower food prices.

Reconsidering Media Discourses on Food Crisis from a Quantitative Perspective

ABSTRACTIn 2007–2008, when food prices started to increase dramatically, purchasing power parity of consumers, especially the urban poor, started to decrease automatically. High food prices were argued to cause poverty, hunger, and food riots among urban populations. Henceforward, “food crisis” became a new storyline in the current debate. In contrast, in the pre-2007 period, when rural farmers had been facing negative welfare effects of low food prices for many years, there were no crisis talks. This article analyzes different media coverage of urban consumers and rural producers under changes in relative incomes for the 2000–2013 period and propounds media bias on the food crisis debate by using content analysis and the OLS regression model.

Economy-Wide Impacts of Promising Maize and Wheat Technologies on Food Security and Welfare in Kenya

A recursive dynamic economy-wide model incorporating productivity changes due to the introduction of promising maize and wheat varieties evaluates foresights for future food security, well-being and economic performance in Kenya. Adoption of promising new maize and wheat varieties not only increases overall economic growth and food availability, it also reduces import dependency and increases the welfare of vulnerable populations, especially rural households in lowland regions. Although maize-producing rural households in the highlands do not gain in terms of real incomes because of declining land income, they benefit from the increased food consumption stimulated by lower food prices. Promising maize technologies will have positive spill-over effect on all crops, mainly on wheat, and have larger positive impact on food security than the expected productivity change from the current promising wheat varieties. Although the lowland economy does not benefit from the adoption of new crop technologies, rural households in this region benefit the most in terms of increases in food and non-food consumption. The welfare gain in terms of food security is further amplified when technological change for the two crops is complemented by a reduction in the marketing costs, which facilitates market access for the increased surplus and further reduces domestic prices. With low marketing costs resulting from reduced trade and transport margins for these two crops, even highland maize producing households experience an increase in real income and the demand for both food and non-food commodities increase substantially, generating significant linkages between agriculture and other sectors.

Analysis of Consumer Willingness to Pay for Genetically Modified Maize Food in Swaziland

Genetic modification has been regarded as the new techno-economic standard of the 21st century. There are a number of promised benefits that come with the technology, including that of increase in crop yield, drought tolerance, environmental friendly farming, low food prices, better taste and nutrition among others. However, the use of biotechnology in food production is one of the most controversial subjects in modern agriculture with some scientists and consumer organizations citing possibilities of GM food causing allergies and cancer in human beings among other negative environmental and ethical concerns. This study was an assessment of consumer willingness to pay for GM food in Swaziland. Data were collected across the four regions of the country, sampling 100 respondents in each region making a total sample size of 400 respondents. The respondents were primary or secondary shoppers in their households, who were above the age of 18 and have heard about GMOs. Data were analysed using SPSS version 20. The results show that there were few respondents (32%) who had objective knowledge about GMOs. However, 70% of the respondents believe that GMOs are already being sold in the local markets. A binary logistic regression model was used to analyse willingness to pay for GM maize meal. The variable that were found to be affect consumers’ willingness to pay for GMO maize food were age, knowledge level, health perception, ethical perception and environmental perception about GMOs.

Economic and Land Use Impacts of Improving Water Use Efficiency in Irrigation in South Asia

This paper modifies and uses an advanced computable general equilibrium model coupled with biophysical data on land and water resources by Agro-Ecological Zone (AEZ) at the river basin level to examine the economy-wide consequences of im-provements in water use efficiency (WUE) in irrigation in South Asia. This is the first time the benefits of such improvements have been evaluated in an economy-wide context. It shows that such improvements increase production of food items, enhance food exports, and significantly improve food security in South Asia. Improvement in water use efficiency also leads to lower food prices, provides the opportunity to extend irrigated areas, decreases demand for cropland, and enhances reforestation. Im-provement in water use efficiency in irrigation also generates important net GDP gains across the South Asia region. Investments in improved WUE of up to 40% can be economically justified in Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka. However, in Nepal, for an improvement of more than 20% in WUE, the economic gains are smaller than costs from the associated investments. In Pakistan and rest of South Asia, an improvement in WUE of up to 30% appears to be economically profitable.

CONSUMER ATTITUDES TOWARD GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD

Among Polish consumers food containing genetically modified materials causes a lot of controversy. Therefore, the objective of the present research was to evaluate the attitude and awareness of Polish consumers regarding genetically modified food. The particular focus of the research was to determine the level of knowledge and consumer attitudes to genetically modified plants as well as food produced with the use of transgenic materials.It was concluded that over a half of the subjects is against cultivation of genetically modified plants is Poland. Moreover, also over a half of the subjects was concerned about the effects of consuming GM food as they claim it may have adverse health effects. Consumers were also not convinced whether the use of GM materials may lower food prices. The most essential factors lowering the risk of purchasing food with GMO addition in the consumers' opinion included: checking the information on the packaging, family's opinion, verified shop and the seller's opinion.

Food Security

Global food security is one of the most unrelenting issues for humanity, and agricultural production is not sufficient in accomplishing this. However, earlier analyses of agricultural food production barely ever bring out the contrasts associated with economic development and different climatic zones. The world population is increasing day by day and climate change will be causing more extreme weather, higher temperatures and changed precipitation. The crop contributes about 20 % of the total dietary calories and proteins globally. There is 1% annual growth in food demand in the developing regions. The developing regions (including China and Central Asia) account for roughly 53 % of the total harvested area and 50 % of the production. Although, unmatched productivity growth from the Green Revolution since the 1960s dramatically transformed world food production, benefitting both producers and consumers through low production costs and low food prices. One of the key challenges today is to replace today’s food system with new ones for better sustainability. While the Green Revolution freed essential ecosystems from conversion to agriculture, it also created its own ecological problems. Moreover productivity increase is now slow or stagnant. Attaining the productivity gains needed to ensure food security will therefore require more than a repeat performance of the Green Revolution of the past. Future demand will need to be achieved through sustainable intensification that combines better crop resistance plants, adaptation to warmer climates, and less use of water, fuel, fertilizer, and labor. Meeting these challenges will require concerted efforts in research and innovation to develop and set up feasible solutions. Necessary investment will be required to realize sustainable productivity growth through better technologies and policy and institutional innovations that facilitate farmer adoption and adaptation. The persistent lessons from the Green Revolution and the recent efforts for sustainable escalation of food systems in South Asia and other developing nations will definitely providing useful insights for the future.

Food and Power: Agricultural Policy Under Democracy and Dictatorship

Agricultural policy is a key determinant of development outcomes and has large effects on global trade flows. However, scholars cannot fully explain variation in these policies because they have not examined how they are made under authoritarian governments. I argue that agricultural policy under autocracy is a function of the power of producers and consumers to organize collectively and threaten the stability of authoritarian regimes. Higher levels of agricultural support occur under autocracy when landholding inequality creates a smaller, richer and better-organized group of farmers. When food consumers are concentrated in urban areas and not divided by income inequality, they pose a greater threat of unrest. This leads autocracies to provide lower levels of agricultural support and lower food prices.

The role of agriculture in the nutrition of children

Data from across the developing world show consistently that a fundamental cause of poor nutrition is low agricultural productivity and consequent low incomes, especially amongst poor rural households. Conventionally, technical solutions have been sought to contribute to greater household food security, and thus better childhood nutrition. A more holistic approach is required. This paper draws from field examples, mainly in southern and east Africa, to illustrate the implementation and effectiveness of what is termed a ‘green evolution’ approach which emphasizes the efficient use of available resources of land, labour and inputs, thus allowing food to be sold profitably at low prices. With low food prices, the poor can use their limited funds to invest in better housing, education and health care. This is achieved through building thoughtful, farmer demand-led initiatives, backed by high quality science to deliver widespread improvements in nutrition for the poor.

TANZANIA: Lower Food Prices

Africa Research Bulletin: Economic, Financial and Technical SeriesVolume 51, Issue 8 p. 20525B-20525C Policy and Practice TANZANIA: Lower Food Prices First published: 04 October 2014 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6346.2014.05982.xRead the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume51, Issue8October 2014Pages 20525B-20525C RelatedInformation

Global Food Security—Introduction

Global Food Security—Introduction

Agriculture for Development in Iraq: Estimating the Impacts of Achieving the Agricultural Targets of the National Development Plan 2013-2017 on Economic Growth, Incomes, and Gender Equality

This paper estimates the potential effects of achieving the agricultural goals set out in Iraq’s National Development Plan (NDP) 2013-2017 using a dynamic computable general equilibrium model. The findings suggest that raising agricultural productivity in accordance with the NDP may more than double average agricultural growth rates and add an average of 0.7 percent each year to economy-wide gross domestic product during the duration of the plan. As a consequence, the economy not only diversifies into agriculture, but agricultural growth also lifts growth in the food processing and service sectors. Achieving the yield targets for cereals (especially wheat) and for fruits and vegetables will have the largest impact on economic growth and household incomes. Household incomes will rise by an estimated 3.3 percent annually. This increase in household incomes will benefit the poorest households and female-headed urban households the most due to a combination of lower food prices and higher incomes from labor and land. Reaping these benefits from agricultural growth will critically depend on the implementation of policies and investments to ensure that additional agricultural produce can be marketed efficiently domestically and compete with imports.

Assessment of expenditure on food among urban households and it’s implication for food security: Evidence from Benue State, Nigeria

The study assessed expenditure on food among urban households in Benue State of Nigeria. This was done with the view to assess household food expenditure and its implications for food security status of the households; identify and assess determinants that influence household food demand; and analyze the determinants of food security of household urban population. The selection of the sample for the study involved a three-stage sampling technique. Data was collected from 150 households through a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, food security index, multiple linear regression and logit regression were employed to analyze data. The results indicated a mean household expenditure on food that stands at N21,748.00 (140.3 USD) per month. Based on the food security index the households that spent at least N14, 498.67 (93.5 USD) on food per month were categorized as food secure and those who spent below this value were categorized as food insecure. Furthermore, 67.3% of the households were food secure, while 32.7% were food insecure. The study revealed that size of household, income of the household head and price of food commodities were identified as major factors influencing household food demand decisions in the study area. Moreover, size of the household and income of the household head were the main determinants of food demand in the study area (F = 19.78; p . 0.05) just as age and income of household head as well as household size influence the probability that a household will be food secure (ƒO2 = 13.77; p > 0.05). The study recommends that household heads should be educated on the need to control family size and to be self-empowered without necessarily depending on government as a way of enhancing their income to improve the household and economic conditions. The government should strengthen its policy on grain reserves in order to control food prices during scarcity and subsidize farm inputs and availability to boost food production and thus lower food prices. Key words : Food security, Urban, Household, Expenditure

Assessment of expenditure on food among urban households and it’s implication for food security: Evidence from Benue State, Nigeria

The study assessed expenditure on food among urban households in Benue State of Nigeria. This was done with the view to assess household food expenditure and its implications for food security status of the households; identify and assess determinants that influence household food demand; and analyze the determinants of food security of household urban population. The selection of the sample for the study involved a three-stage sampling technique. Data was collected from 150 households through a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, food security index, multiple linear regression and logit regression were employed to analyze data. The results indicated a mean household expenditure on food that stands at N21,748.00 40.3 USD) per month. Based on the food security index the households that spent at least N14, 498.67 (93.5 USD) on food per month were categorized as food secure and those who spent below this value were categorized as food insecure. Furthermore, 67.3% of the households were food secure, while 32.7% were food insecure. The study revealed that size of household, income of the household head and price of food comodities were identified as major factors influencing household food demand decisions in the study area. Moreover, size of the household and income of the household head were the main determinants of food demand in the study area (F = 19.78; p ≤ 0.05) just as age and income of household head as well as household size influence the probability that a household will be food secure(χ2 = 13.77; p > 0.05). The study recommends that household heads should be educated on the need to control family size and to be self-empowered without necessarily depending on government as a way of enhancing their income to improve the household and economic conditions. The government should strengthen its policy on grain reserves in order to control food prices during scarcity and subsidize farm i nputs and availability to boost food production and thus lower food prices.

GENETICALLY MODIFIED AGRIFOOD TRADE: NECESSITY OR CONCERNS?

Genetically modified agri-foods are genetically modified using biotechnology. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) advantages are the focus of much attention in world food markets. Genetically modified crop technology is claimed also to have great potential for the worlds farmers and ultimately consumers, following initial success with genetically modified cotton varieties. Benefits for farmers could include greater productivity and less occupational health and environmental damage (e.g., fewer pesticides), while benefits to consumers include lower food prices and, potentially, enhanced attributes. Common genetically modified agri-foods include maize, soybeans, oilseed rape (canola), chicory, squash, potatoes, pineapples and strawberries. Genetically modified agri-foods are designed for greater resistance to pests and viruses, higher nutritional value and longer shelf life. However, their safety, potential risks and ethical concerns are still being debated. Laws to regulate labeling of genetically modified agri-foods vary. The public's perception of the risk of new technology is critical to its acceptance. Perception of risk, in turn, depends on the credibility of the source of the information and trust in the regulatory process. Keyword: Genetically modified agri-food, trade, concerns, necessity

The Relationship Between Select Demographic Characteristics and Body Mass Index Among Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Caregiving Adults

Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders (NHOPIs) have the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity in the world. We identified the proportion of our NHOPI sample in each body mass index (BMI) category and explored relationships between BMI and demographic characteristics. Our descriptive correlational study included 364 NHOPI caregiver adults in Utah (n = 155) and Hawaii (n = 209). We gathered demographic information with a questionnaire. Height and weight were measured for BMI calculations. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's BMI categories, 84.3% of our sample was overweight or obese. Participants in Utah had significantly higher BMIs than participants in Hawaii. Educational attainment was inversely related with BMI; however, age, gender, and income were not significantly related with BMI. NHOPIs on the U.S. mainland may be at greater risk for obesity than those in Hawaii; food price differences between locations may help explain this. NHOPIs in early adulthood had high BMIs; overtime this situation could worsen without intervention. NHOPIs with low education levels or in areas of low food prices are at increased risk for obesity. Future research should focus on culturally sensitive interventions to reduce NHOPI obesity and associated risks.

Agricultural Biotechnology: The Promise and Prospects of Genetically Modified Crops

For millennia, humans have modified plant genes in order to develop crops best suited for food, fiber, feed, and energy production. Conventional plant breeding remains inherently random and slow, constrained by the availability of desirable traits in closely related plant species. In contrast, agricultural biotechnology employs the modern tools of genetic engineering to reduce uncertainty and breeding time and to transfer traits from more distantly related plants. Critics express concerns that the technology imposes negative environmental effects and jeopardizes the health of those who consume the “frankenfoods.” Supporters emphasize potential gains from boosting output and lowering food prices for consumers. They argue that such gains are achieved contemporaneous with the adoption of farming practices that lower agrochemical use and lessen soil. The extensive experience with agricultural biotechnology since 1996 provides ample evidence with which to test the claims of supporters and opponents and to evaluate the prospects of genetic crop engineering. In this paper, we begin with an overview of the adoption of the first generation of agricultural biotechnology crops. We then look at the evidence on the effects of these crops: on output and prices, on the environment, and on consumer health. Finally, we consider intellectual property issues surrounding this new technology.

Produtividade agrícola e segurança alimentar dos domicílios das regiões metropolitanas brasileiras

O crescimento agrícola pode afetar o nível de bem-estar de uma população mediante a possibilidade de elevação da oferta de alimentos, com reflexo em menores preços e na qualidade da dieta das pessoas. Assim, buscou-se, neste trabalho, verificar a relação entre a produtividade agrícola brasileira dos principais itens constituintes da dieta da população e a segurança alimentar dos domicílios das regiões metropolitanas brasileiras. Utilizou-se um modelo de escolha qualitativa, o probit, e dados das Pesquisas de Orçamentos Familiares (POF) de 1995-1996, 2002-2003 e 2008-2009 e da pesquisa de Produção Agrícola Municipal (PAM). Foram verificadas importantes relações entre a escolaridade do chefe do domicílio, a presença de pessoas menores de 18 anos na família e o fato de o domicílio obter renda per capita inferior a um salário mínimo e a segurança alimentar. Além disso, o crescimento da produtividade dos grãos, das verduras e legumes e das frutas associou-se à maior probabilidade de segurança alimentar em pelo menos um dos períodos analisados. Conclui-se que os ganhos de produtividade associam-se à maior segurança alimentar domiciliar, porém, em baixas proporções, devido à alta influência de fatores particulares aos domicílios, como escolaridade e renda.

The Surprising Effects of the Great Recession: Losers and Winners in Thailand in 2008–09

In 2009, buffeted by the great recession, Thai gross domestic product fell by 2.3 percent. Using monthly data from the socio-economic surveys of 2007-2010, this paper finds, after controlling for household variables, that real consumption per capita rose in 2009 relative to 2008 for most groups, including the poor, urban and rural households, men, women, and children. The losers were residents of Bangkok, especially those aged 20-29, and those working in sales and services. During the recession year of 2009, school enrollment rates did not fall, and durable goods purchases actually rose; households probably reduced their savings, and also benefitted from the lower food prices that prevailed in 2009. A simulation exercise based on the slowdown in growth of gross domestic product would have missed these effects, as would models based solely on readily-available data series. This points to the importance of country-specific policy analysis, rooted in timely local evidence, including household survey data.

Transitioning Transgenic Seed from Patent to Generic: Supplementing Contractual Solutions with Governmental Action

Almost all food products in the United States rely on transgenic crops, which have been protected by patent since their introduction in 1996. However, the final patents for the first of those crops, the Roundup Ready Soybean, expire in 2014. That event could open markets to generic transgenic seeds, which would lower food prices and potentially lead to improved seed stock. However, the generic seeds cannot be grown in the US or sold in most countries unless regulatory clearances are maintained, which require access to data only available to the patent-holder. In the fall of 2012, agricultural industry organizations attempted to resolve this problem with a contractual solution. This paper argues that the contractual solution fails to address critical regulatory, antitrust, and patent law problems that stymie the emergence of a competitive market in transgenic seed and that supplemental government action is necessary to fully address the needs of the marketplace. After introducing the transgenic seed market, the paper describes the current patenting regime. The paper describes the regulation of generic transgenic seeds, explaining where data from the innovator company is necessary and identifying places of regulatory uncertainty. The paper then outlines the contractual solution and explains why that solution excludes traditional seed variety developers. The paper describes consolidation and antitrust issues in the transgenic seed market and explains why the contractual solution will maintain this consolidation. Finally, the paper proposes three novel regulatory reforms that Congress should pass to resolve the most pressing barriers to a competitive generic seed market.