Non-food Commodities Research Articles

Spatial Analysis of Regional Poverty Rates in Bali for the period 2016-2020

Poverty is a severe issue for local governments, particularly in Bali. This study aims to investigate factors influencing the regional poverty rate in Bali Province between 2016 and 2020. In the primary data obtained from BPS Bali Province, spatial regression data approaches and analyses were used. The findings show that housing, access to technology, and availability of natural resources affect poverty rates. The poverty line in Bali in the period 2016–2020 fluctuated significantly. Urban and rural poverty levels are affected by the availability of rice. At the same time, non-food commodities are higher in rural areas regarding housing, religious ceremonies, and customs. The contribution of the food poverty line to the urban poverty line was 68.76% less than the contribution of the food poverty line to the rural poverty line, which was 69.74%. From 2016 to 2020, the districts of Buleleng, Karangasem, Klungkung, and Tabanan each had the highest poverty depth index. The poverty depth index in urban areas reached 0.653, and in rural areas, 0.753. The severity index for urban poverty is 0.154, which is lower than the severity index for rural poverty, which is 0.156.

CONSUMER’S EXPECTATIONS AND PERCEPTION OF PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM IN INDIA: A CASE STUDY OF KANNIYAKUMARI DISTRICT

The Public Distribution System (PDS) is a critical food security program designed to provide essential food and non-food commodities to the economically vulnerable segments of society through government-sponsored Fair Price Shops (FPS). By offering these commodities at subsidized rates, the PDS plays a crucial role in stabilizing market prices and ensuring access to essential goods in every part of the country. PDS operates under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution and is managed collaboratively by both the central and state governments. The study aims to assess consumer expectations and perceptions of the PDS, identify the problems faced by consumers, and make recommendations to meet consumer needs more effectively. It also explores the future development of the PDS to enhance its efficiency and reach.

Crowding-out effect of tobacco consumption in Indonesia

BackgroundTobacco consumption is pervasive in Indonesia, with 6 out of 10 households in the country consuming tobacco. Smoking households, on average, divert a significant share (10.7%) of their monthly budget...

Reducing global food loss and waste could improve air quality and lower the risk of premature mortality

While the global food system substantially contributes to environmental degradation and climate change, significant amounts of lost or wasted foods along the food supply chain actively contribute to global air pollution and related health risks. In this study, we use an environmentally-extended input–output model to quantify air pollution embedded in global food loss and waste (FLW) and investigate how FLW reduction policies can mitigate air pollution linked to food consumption, decreasing associated premature mortality risks across global regions. While estimating a positive impact of FLW reduction policies on decreasing air pollution levels (from −1.5% of SO2 emissions to −10.2% of NH3 emissions) and mortality reductions (over 67 000 lives worldwide) our findings highlight that rebound effects, wherein a reallocation of consumption from food to non-food commodities, decrease health and environmental benefits by over three quarters (compared to the case with no rebound). Such rebound effects can be substantially mitigated when final consumption shifts towards less pollution-intensive products, such as service activities, rather than conforming to the current composition of non-food consumption. Our results suggest that FLW-related policies would benefit from complementary measures that incentivize sustainable non-food consumption to effectively foster the transition towards a healthier and more sustainable planet.

HOUSEHOLD FOOD AND NON-FOOD CONSUMPTION BEHAVIOUR IN PAKISTAN

The main objective of the study is to identify the household consumption pattern in Pakistan. To fulfill the objective, the research incorporates microdata of household expenditure on twenty food and nonfood groups for the period 2018- 19. Different socioeconomic and demographic variables are also used to explain household consumption behaviour. It is concluded that most of the expenditure share of food and non-food groups of commodities has increased due to an increase in per capita income, but at a decreasing rate. Household size, household age and employment by age and by gender have played a significant role in altering the consumption share of most of food and nonfood commodities. There are both provincial and regional disparities exist in consumption behavior. Housing is considered a normal or luxurious good, while education is inferior because the expenditure share of housing has increased as income has increased, and so on. It is suggested that the government should work to increase the awareness regarding the importance of education.

Estimating the welfare effect of food price increase on households in Nigeria: Direct and substitution effect approach

Increases in food prices in Nigeria have raised huge concerns on the impact welfare of poor households who have substantial share of their spending on food. This study investigated the welfare effects (including the direct and substitution effects) of food price changes on households in Nigeria. The study employed time series data on food prices from 1991-2013 and household survey data obtained from the National household Survey (wave 2). We group household consumption expenditure on different food and non-food commodities into nine (9) namely; fish, meat, pulses, fruit & vegetable, fat & oil, beverages, wheat, rice, corn, and others. Welfare effect was analyzed by compensating variation. The results showed that a safety net program would net to transfer an amount equivalent to 0.76%, 0.26% and 1.02% of the total national consumption to fully compensate the poorest quintile in rural, urban and at the national level respectively. And also, in the richest losers’ quintile about 1.29% of the aggregate national consumption will be required by a safety net program to fully compensate them overall. The study concluded that food price changes related significantly with welfare status of the respondents as tested by CV model. Welfare gain was enjoyed mostly by urban household whose mean compensated variation was as high as 18% compared with 14% for rural household.

Ethyl Formate-Based Quarantine Treatment for Exotic Ants and Termites in Imported Rubber Plants and Stone Products

Exotic ants and termites, including Solenopsis invicta, are frequent hitchhikers intercepted from miscellaneous nonfood commodities. In particular, S. invicta has been intercepted in Korea in imported nursery plants, stone, and lumber products, which increases the potential for establishment of this destructive invasive pest in Korea. In this study, we conducted commercial-scale fumigation trials to evaluate ethyl formate (EF) as a potential alternative of methyl bromide using two species of imported rubber plants and pieces of marble as representative good and workers of Reticulitermes speratus as an EF-resistant surrogate for S. invicta. An EF treatment at 35 g/m3 for 4 h at >15 °C, the dose required for LCt99% (lethal concentration × time product required for 99% mortality of R. speratus), resulted in the complete control of R. speratus workers tested with rubber plants (Ficus benghalensis and F. retusa) and marble, 9% (w/v) and 60% (v/v) loading ratios, respectively. EF treatment did not adversely affect the leaf chlorophyll content, leaf color, and overall health of rubber plants or the visual appearance of the marble. Our results suggest that EF fumigation is a potential alternative to methyl bromide for the disinfestation of hitchhiking invasive termites and ants, including S. invicta, on imported rubber plants and stone products.

Early Program Assessment of the Haryana Wheat Flour Fortification Program, India

ObjectivesIn 2018, a wheat flour fortification program with iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12 fortificants was established within the government-run Public Distribution System (PDS) in Ambala District, Haryana, India to address micronutrient deficiencies. PDS provides basic food and non-food commodities to the families below poverty level at subsidised prices. This study aims to assess household fortified wheat flour consumption among PDS recipients. MethodsIn 2021, we conducted a household survey and interviewed women aged 18–49 years (WRA) about consumption of wheat flour. A systematic probability sample design was used to select 358 households with WRA from a listing of all household beneficiaries enrolled in PDS who were living in the Naraingarh and Barara communities in Ambala District where the wheat flour fortification program was implemented. We assessed the percentages of households who have received and consumed fortified wheat flour from PDS, and assessed the perceived quality of fortified wheat flour compared to non-fortified wheat flour from other sources. ResultsWe were able to reach 88% of the selected households (314/358) and 291 WRA agreed to participate (response rate 93%). Almost 99% (288/291) of households were eligible to obtain fortified wheat flour through PDS and among those eligible, 285 (99%) obtained fortified wheat flour monthly. Household consumption of fortified wheat flour was 98%, and 71% consumed all the fortified wheat flour supply before consuming other non-fortified wheat flours. Among households that reported consumption of fortified wheat flour, 63% reported quality of the fortified wheat flour was similar or better than non-fortified wheat flour from other sources. ConclusionsReceipt and consumption of fortified wheat flour among PDS beneficiaries was very high. A majority of households reported consumption of fortified wheat flour first before other non-fortified wheat flour and that the quality of fortified wheat flour was similar or better than other non-fortified wheat flour. Periodic assessment of the wheat flour fortification program would be helpful to ensure continual high consumption of fortified wheat flour by PDS beneficiaries. Funding SourcesU.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided funding for the assessment.

Impact of COVID 19 on the Income and Expenditure of the Egyptian Family: A Case Study of Gharbia Governorate

This research paper is aimed at studying and analyzing expenditure of families food and non-food commodities across different income levels in the rural and urban areas of Gharbia Governorate, Egypt during the spread of the newly discovered corona virus. Specifically, it monitored the consumer's purchasing behaviors according to the current economic and social situations and the most important ways and methods used by the family to curtail the pandemic and it's effect. Similarly, the result from the evaluation of the effect of corona pandemic revealed that the number of families whose income decreased during the pandemic in the sample of rural and urban areas in Gharbia governorate is about 85, 149 families, and the categories that are harmed the most by the pandemic are those who work in professions with unfixed payment which represent 60.9% of the total number of families in the sample which reached 384 families, the most important reasons to the decrease of the household income are : the cessation of work of one of the family members, imposing the precautionary measures, stoppage of work of some of the family members, decrease of demand on the activity, low wages, decreasing work days and hours and irregular work, while some families dealt with this decrease in income through some necessary measures such as: dispensing with some quantities of unnecessary commodities when their price rises, and also some families relied on consumption of what can be planted or raised at home and/or receiving subvention from the Egyptian government during the stoppage of work which represents about 74.4%, 55.7%, 3.1% respectively from the total research sample.

Food Price Inflation and Relative Price Variability in India: Evidence from Decomposition Analysis

The present study examines the decomposition of relative price variability into two components (i.e., inflationary and real factors) in India using monthly data on 105 commodities prices over the period January 2005 to March 2017. The analysis of the study revealed that under primary food articles, 53% of relative price variability is due to real factors, and the remaining 47% due to inflationary factors. Whereas for manufactured food products, 30% of relative price variability is due to real factors, and the rest of the 70% due to inflationary factors. Overall, the important conclusion that emerges from the analysis is that few commodity prices have a larger contribution to relative price variability in the food basket. The majority of commodity prices under primary food articles have a larger contribution to variability in relative price changes, whereas under manufactured food products have the least contribution. Moreover, this study also accounts for wholesale price index and consumer price index non-food commodities to identify to which extent relative price variability is determined by real and inflationary factors. JEL Classifications: E30, E31, Q11, L66

Unprofitability of food market investments

Using more than two decades of disaggregated return data, we provide a comprehensive study of the investment benefits offered by food futures. In addition to comparing them to established passive and active investment vehicles, we investigate whether diversified investors can capitalize on including food futures into their portfolios. Our analysis is conducted within traditional and modern mean‐risk portfolio frameworks (measuring risk in terms of variance and tail size, respectively) supplemented by robust resampling techniques. Reward‐to‐risk investment performance is evaluated out of sample and by means of state‐of‐the‐art bootstrap testing. Overall, we find that food futures neither surpass standalone investments in stock, bond, and nonfood commodity markets nor do they significantly improve optimized multi‐asset portfolios.

Principal Drivers and Conservation Solutions to the Impending Primate Extinction Crisis: Introduction to the Special Issue.

Nonhuman primates are facing an impending extinction crisis with over 65% of species listed as Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered, and 93% characterized by declining populations. Primary drivers of primate population decline include deforestation, principally for industrial agriculture and the production of food and nonfood commodities, much of which is exported to wealthy consumer nations, unsustainable bushmeat hunting, the illegal pet trade, the capture of primates for body parts, expanding road and rail networks, mining, dam building, oil and gas exploration, and the threat of emerging diseases. Over the next several decades, human population increase, agricultural expansion, and climate change are expected to contribute significantly to the loss of additional suitable habitat and a reduction in the viability of local primate populations. If we are to avoid this impending extinction crisis, primate researchers must prioritize projects designed to mitigate the effects of habitat change on ecosystems health and biodiversity, and play a greater role in conservation and environmental policy by educating global citizens and political leaders. In addition, the international community will need to work with governments in primate habitat countries to expand the number of protected areas that contain primate species (94 primate species have < 10% of their range in protected areas). In this special issue of the International Journal of Primatology, we bring together researchers from a wide range of disciplines to examine the current and future threats to primate population persistence, and present local, country, and regional solutions to protect primate species.

Features of the Analysis of the Used Non-Food and Food Commodities in Forensic Commodity Examination

The article reviews the main stages of the forensic commodity analysis of the objects losing in quality and cost up to 100 % to determine their market value. Based on specific examples, various situations of value determination for industrial and food products are analyzed: 1) used hosiery; 2) dumplings with damaged packaging. The author reviews the algorithm of solving the task assigned to the expert, the course of the study. The article also indicates specific regulatory and technical documents, ensuring expert conclusions’ correctness and validity.

Distributional impacts of carbon pricing policies under the Paris Agreement: Inter and intra-regional perspectives

In this paper, we analyze the poverty and distributional impacts of different carbon pricing mechanisms consistent with reaching the Paris Agreement targets. We link a global recursive dynamic computable general equilibrium model ENVISAGE with the GIDD microsimulation model and explore three levels of mitigation effort and five carbon pricing options (trade coalitions). Results suggest that while there is a higher incidence of poverty in all scenarios, mainly driven by lower economic growth, Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) policies result in a progressive income distribution at the global level. Such progressivity is caused not only by lower relative prices of food versus non-food commodities, but also by a general decline in the skill wage premia.Achievement of the NDC targets without regional cooperation results in 0.45% increase in the number of people living in extreme poverty (below PPP$1.90/day) by 2030, while a more ambitious 2 °C-consistent target increases this number to 1.25%. Global cooperation significantly eases the burden on poor, reducing the poverty headcount by almost three times in the case of 2 °C-consistent target and bringing it to the baseline scenario level in the case of NDC target. The global Gini coefficient falls between 0.01 and 0.04 percentage points, while reduction in the Theil index is between 0.01 and 0.11 percentage points. Results also indicate that the reductions in inequality come mainly from a reduction in income from top earners, as the results are much more sensitive to the NDC policies closer to the top of the income distribution.

Distributional Impacts of Carbon Pricing Policies Under Paris Agreement: Inter and Intra-Regional Perspectives

While bringing multiple benefits for the environment, achievement of the stringent global greenhouse gas emissions reduction target, like the one outlined in the Paris Climate Agreement, is associated with significant implementation costs and could impact different dimensions of human well-being, including welfare, poverty and distributional aspects. In this paper, we analyze the poverty and distributional impacts of different carbon pricing mechanisms consistent with reaching the Paris Agreement targets. We link a global recursive dynamic computable general equilibrium model ENVISAGE with the GIDD microsimulation model and explore three levels of mitigation effort and five carbon pricing options (trade coalitions). Results suggest that while there is a higher incidence of poverty in all scenarios, mainly driven by lower economic growth, Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) policies result in progressive income distribution at the global level. Such progressivity is caused not only by lower relative prices of food versus non-food commodities, but also by a general decline in skill wage premia. Achievement of the NDC targets without regional cooperation results in 0.45% increase in the number of people living in extreme poverty (below PPP$1.90/day) by 2030, while a more ambitious 2oC-consistent target increases this number to 1.25%. Global cooperation significantly eases the burden on poor, reducing the poverty headcount (additional number of people leaving in extreme poverty) by almost three times in the case of 2oC-consistent target and bringing it to the baseline scenario level in the case of NDC target. The global Gini coefficient falls between 0.01 and 0.04 percentage points depending on the mitigation effort and collaboration mode, while reduction in the Theil index is between 0.01 and 0.11 percentage points. Results also indicate that the reductions in inequality come mainly from reduction in income from top earners, as the results are much more sensitive to the NDC policies closer to the top of the income distribution.

Restoring farmlands for food and nature

Changes in the intensity and extent of farmland have a profound impact on life on Earth. Although nature-rich farmlands have conservation value, their promotion competes with the protection and restoration of natural habitat. Restoring the productive capacity of existing farmland can help maximize opportunities for the restoration of both nature-rich farmlands and natural habitat.

Klasik Hanefî Faiz Teorisinin Günümüzde Geçerliliği Sorunu: Kağıt Paraların ve Sanayi Ürünlerinin Kendi Cinsleriyle Mübadelesinde Fazlalık Faizi

Klasik dönemde hakim olan faiz teorileri günümüzde aynen tatbik edildiklerinde, kağıt paraların ya da bir çok sanayi ürününün kendi cinsleriyle mübadelesinde eşitliğe riayet edilmesi gerekmediği sonucu açığa çıkmaktadır. Sözgelimi, fazlalık faizinde bedeller arasında cins birliği yanında keylîlik ya da veznîlik birliği aranan teoriye göre, keylî ya da veznî olmayan kağıt paralar ve bir çok sanayi ürünü fazlalık faizinin konusu değildirler. Bedellerin yiyecek maddesi, altın ya da gümüş olmasını şart koşan diğer hakim faiz teorisi esas alındığında da aynı sonuçla karşılaşılmaktadır. Buna karşılık, günümüzde kağıt paraların ve birbirine eşit olarak üretilen sanayi ürünlerinin kendi cinsleriyle mübadelelerinde eşitliğin mutlaka şart koşulması gerektiği düşüncesiyle çağdaş İslam Hukukçuları, çoğunlukla, faiz yasağının kapsamını yeni bir faiz teorisi ortaya koyarak genişletme eğilimi içerisindedirler. Bu nedenle çağdaş dönemde, klasik dönemde hakim olduğu belirtilen teoriler yerine, her türlü paranın ve her türlü mislî malın kendi cinsleriyle mübadelelerinde eşitliğe riayet edilmesini gerektiren yeni bir teori yaygınlık kazanmaya başlamıştır. Sözü edilen durum, aynı zamanda klasik teorilerin günümüzde geçerliliğini sürdürüp sürdürmediği sorununu açığa çıkarmaktadır. Bu araştırmada, gerçekte kağıt paraları ve tüm sanayi ürünlerini kapsayan bir genişlikte olduğu gerekçesiyle, Hanefî faiz teorisi bakımından günümüzde herhangi bir geçerlilik sorununun bulunmadığı gösterilmek istenilmektedir.

Hunger increases delay discounting of food and non-food rewards

How do our valuation systems change to homeostatically correct undesirable psychological or physiological states, such as those caused by hunger? There is evidence that hunger increases discounting for food rewards, biasing choices towards smaller but sooner food reward over larger but later reward. However, it is not understood how hunger modulates delay discounting for non-food items. We outline and quantitatively evaluate six possible models of how our valuation systems modulate discounting of various commodities in the face of the undesirable state of being hungry. With a repeated-measures design, an experimental hunger manipulation, and quantitative modeling, we find strong evidence that hunger causes large increases in delay discounting for food, with an approximately 25% spillover effect to non-food commodities. The results provide evidence that in the face of hunger, our valuation systems increase discounting for commodities, which cannot achieve a desired state change as well as for those commodities that can. Given that strong delay discounting can cause negative outcomes in many non-food (consumer, investment, medical, or inter-personal) domains, the present findings suggest caution may be necessary when making decisions involving non-food outcomes while hungry.

Small Area Estimation with Bivariate Hierarchical Bayes (HB) Approach to Estimate Monthly Average per Capita Expenditure of Food and Non-Food Commodities in Province of Bali

Small Area Estimation (SAE) is an indirect method that has been widely used for estimating parameters in a small area or small domain by borrowing strength of predictor variables from census or registration. This study uses Hierarchical Bayes (HB) method under the univariate and bivariate Fay-Herriot (FH) model to estimate monthly average per capita expenditure of food and non-food commodities for each district level in Province of Bali in 2014. Then estimation results from both models will be compared. The bivariate FH model is expected to increase the accuracy of the results of estimation by taking into account correlation between two types of expenditure rather than perform univariate estimation separately. Thirteen predictor variables from the administrative record of village data (PODES 2014) are included in each model as factors that affect these two types of expenditure. From the result, there are three variables that have significant effect on food expenditure, both in univariate and bivariate FH model. While, for non-food expenditure both model show different result on significant variables. Based on the results of the performance comparison, the best model is bivariate FH model since it has smaller Mean Square Prediction Error (MSPE), Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) value than univariate FH models. In addition, the bivariate FH model produces shorter 95% credible interval of estimated values. These conditions indicate that jointly modeling can improve the accuracy of estimation. Bivariate FH also produces significant improvement in adjusted R2 value. Finally, the mapping result shows the same pattern for two types of expenditure. The highest monthly average per capita expenditure is more localized in the southern districts of Bali. While the lowest expenditure is more localized in the eastern and western districts of Bali.

Our Common Cropland: Quantifying Global Agricultural Land Use from a Consumption Perspective

Understanding teleconnections of regional consumption patterns and global land use supports policy making towards achieving sustainable land use. We present an innovative globally consistent hybrid land-flow accounting method to track biomass flows and embodied land along global supply chains. It uses the large FAOSTAT database, which is, for non-food commodities, complemented with a multi-regional input-output model. We employ the hybrid model globally between 1995 and 2010 and present results for 21 regional markets. Results highlight the growing integration in international markets. In 2010, 31% of cropland cultivation was for export markets compared to 16% in 1995. The higher land demand of livestock-based diets, which account for one third of global cropland use, and differences in land use intensities cause large regional variations in extents and composition of land footprints. The utilization of cropland changed towards a growing importance of the non-food sector accounting for 12% in 2010. Comparing land quality weighted cropland footprints across regions further reveals large differences in the appropriation of available global cropland productivity. Because of large uncertainties and quality differences in the actual use of grassland for feeding ruminants, we propose land quality weighted grassland footprints to discuss the additional land use for ruminant livestock products.