IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/pas/asarcc/2010-16.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Demand for Nutrients in India, 1993–2004

Author

Listed:
  • Raghav Gaiha
  • Raghbendra Jha
  • Vani S. Kulkarni

Abstract

In response to the Deaton–Dreze (2009) explanation of a downward shift in the calorie Engel curve in terms of lower requirements due to health improvements and lower activity levels, we have developed an alternative explanation of changes in the consumption of calories, protein and fats over the period 1993–2004. This explanation is embedded in a standard demand theory framework, with food prices and expenditure (as a proxy for income) cast in a pivotal role. Based on different experiments, robust demand functions are estimated for each of three nutrients viz. calories, protein and fats, separately for rural and urban areas. Our results show consistently robust food price and expenditure effects. Besides, shifts in food price elasticities over time are captured. Over and above these effects, there are shifts in demands due to factors other than those specified in the demand equation. In the context of calories, for example, it is plausible that part of the reduction in their consumption was due to health improvements and less strenuous activity levels — especially but not necessarily confined to rural areas. So, while the Deaton–Dreze (2009) explanation is not rejected, it is arguable that it is complementary to the demand-based explanations.

Suggested Citation

  • Raghav Gaiha & Raghbendra Jha & Vani S. Kulkarni, 2010. "Demand for Nutrients in India, 1993–2004," ASARC Working Papers 2010-16, The Australian National University, Australia South Asia Research Centre.
    • Handle: RePEc:pas:asarcc:2010-16
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://crawford.anu.edu.au/acde/asarc/pdf/papers/2010/WP2010_16.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Pitt, Mark M, 1983. "Food Preferences and Nutrition in Rural Bangladesh," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 65(1), pages 105-114, February.
    2. Pitt, Mark M & Rosenzweig, Mark R, 1985. "Health and Nutrient Consumption across and within Farm Households," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 67(2), pages 212-223, May.
    3. Behrman, Jere R. & Deolalikar, Anil B., 1988. "Health and nutrition," Handbook of Development Economics, in: Hollis Chenery & T.N. Srinivasan (ed.), Handbook of Development Economics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 14, pages 631-711, Elsevier.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Blog mentions

    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. Indian calorie intakes decline despite rising incomes
      by Raghbendra Jha in East Asia Forum on 2010-09-07 05:12:25

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Jaya Jumrani & J. V. Meenakshi, 2023. "How effective is a fat subsidy? Evidence from edible oil consumption in India," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 74(2), pages 327-348, June.
    2. Jumrani, Jaya, 2023. "How responsive are nutrients in India? Some recent evidence," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    3. Nadia Shabnam & Fabio Gaetano Santeramo & Zahid Asghar & Antonio Seccia, 2016. "The Impact of Food Price Crises on the Demand for Nutrients in Pakistan," Journal of South Asian Development, , vol. 11(3), pages 305-327, December.
    4. Nidhi Kaicker & Vani S. Kulkarni & Raghav Gaiha, 2011. "Dietary Transition in India: An Analysis Based on NSS Data for 1993 and 2004," ASARC Working Papers 2011-10, The Australian National University, Australia South Asia Research Centre.
    5. Jayatilleke S. Bandara, 2013. "What is Driving India’s Food Inflation? A Survey of Recent Evidence," South Asia Economic Journal, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, vol. 14(1), pages 127-156, March.
    6. Raghbendra Jha, 2018. "India's Long Road: The Search for Prosperity," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 94(305), pages 207-209, June.
    7. McCullough, Ellen & Zhen, Chen & Shin, Soye & Lu, Meichen & Arsenault, Joanne, 2022. "The role of food preferences in determining diet quality for Tanzanian consumers," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    8. Indranil Dutta & Shruti Kapoor & Prasanta K. Pattanaik, 2020. "Nutrient consumption in India: Evidence from a village study," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(3), pages 855-877, August.
    9. Headey, Derek & Chiu, Alice & Kadiyala, Suneetha, 2011. "Agriculture's role in the Indian enigma: Help or hindrance to the undernutrition crisis?," IFPRI discussion papers 1085, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Salois, Matthew & Tiffin, Richard & Balcombe, Kelvin, 2010. "Calorie and Nutrient Consumption as a Function of Income: A Cross-Country Analysis," MPRA Paper 24726, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Gingrich, Chris Daniel, 1995. "Health uncertainty and food consumption in low-income households in Lima, Peru," ISU General Staff Papers 1995010108000012053, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    3. Marta Ruiz-Arranz & Benjamin Davis & Marco Stampini & Paul Winters & Sudhanshu Handa, 2002. "More Calories or More Diversity? An econometric evaluation of the impact of the PROGRESA and PROCAMPO transfer programmes on food security in rural Mexico," Working Papers 02-09, Agricultural and Development Economics Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO - ESA).
    4. Rashid, Dewan Arif & Smith, Lisa C. & Rahman, Tauhidur, 2011. "Determinants of Dietary Quality: Evidence from Bangladesh," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(12), pages 2221-2231.
    5. Higgins, Paul A & Alderman, Harold & DEC, 1992. "Labor and women's nutrition : a study of energy expenditure, fertility, and nutritional status in Ghana," Policy Research Working Paper Series 1009, The World Bank.
    6. Hoddinott, John, 1997. "Water, health, and income," FCND discussion papers 25, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    7. Jere R. Behrman, 1994. "Intra-family Distribution in Developing Countries," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 33(3), pages 253-296.
    8. Emmanuel Skoufias & Vincenzo Di Maro & Teresa González‐Cossío & Sonia Rodríguez Ramírez, 2009. "Nutrient consumption and household income in rural Mexico," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 40(6), pages 657-675, November.
    9. Indunil De Silva & Sudarno Sumarto, 2018. "Child Malnutrition in Indonesia: Can Education, Sanitation and Healthcare Augment the Role of Income?," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(5), pages 837-864, July.
    10. Penders, Christopher L. & Staatz, John M., 2001. "The Impact Of Household Level Determinants Of Child Health And Nutrition: Cross-Country Evidence From West Africa," Staff Paper Series 11579, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    11. Behrman, Jere R. & Skoufias, Emmanuel, 2004. "Correlates and determinants of child anthropometrics in Latin America: background and overview of the symposium," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 2(3), pages 335-351, December.
    12. Variyam, Jayachandran N. & Blaylock, James R. & Smallwood, David, 1995. "Modeling Nutrient Intake: The Role of Dietary Information," Technical Bulletins 156772, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    13. Mohammad Ali & Kira M. Villa & Janak Joshi, 2018. "Health and hunger: nutrient response to income depending on caloric availability in Nepal," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 49(5), pages 611-621, September.
    14. Hayfa Grira, 2007. "Les déterminants du statut nutritionnel au Matlab : une analyse empirique," Post-Print halshs-00175088, HAL.
    15. Ahmed, Mohamed A. M. & Emana, B. & Jabbar, Mohammad A. & Tangka, F. & Ehui, Simeon K., 2003. "Economic and nutritional impacts of market-oriented dairy production in the Ethiopian highlands," Research Reports 182881, International Livestock Research Institute.
    16. Kimhi, Ayal, 2003. "Socio-economic determinants of health and physical fitness in southern Ethiopia," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 1(1), pages 55-75, January.
    17. Pitt, Mark M. & Rosenzweig, Mark R., 1989. "The Selectivity of Fertility and the Determinants of Human Capital Investments: Parametric and Semi-Parametric Estimates," Bulletins 7511, University of Minnesota, Economic Development Center.
    18. Staudigel, Matthias, 2012. "On The Application Of Household Production Theory To Health And Nutrition," 52nd Annual Conference, Stuttgart, Germany, September 26-28, 2012 137389, German Association of Agricultural Economists (GEWISOLA).
    19. McCullough, Ellen & Zhen, Chen & Shin, Soye & Lu, Meichen & Arsenault, Joanne, 2022. "The role of food preferences in determining diet quality for Tanzanian consumers," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    20. Rosemary E. Isoto & David S. Kraybill, 2017. "Remittances and household nutrition: evidence from rural Kilimanjaro in Tanzania," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 9(2), pages 239-253, April.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Nutrients; Prices; Expenditure; Demand; Rural; Urban; India;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C21 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models
    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pas:asarcc:2010-16. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Raghbendra Jha (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/asanuau.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.