Measuring the Affordability of Nutritious Diets in Africa: Price Indexes for Diet Diversity and the Cost of Nutrient Adequacy

American Journal of Agricultural Economics
William MastersJennifer C Coates

Abstract

Policies and programs often aim to improve the affordability of nutritious diets, but existing food price indexes are based on observed quantities that may not meet nutritional goals. To measure changes in the cost of reaching international standards of diet quality, we introduce a new cost of diet diversity index based on the lowest-cost way to include at least five different food groups as defined by the widely used minimum dietary diversity for women (MDD-W) indicator and compare that to a Cost of Nutrient Adequacy indicator for the lowest-cost way to meet estimated average requirements of essential nutrients and dietary energy. We demonstrate application of both indexes using national average monthly prices from two very different sources: an agricultural market information system in Ghana (2009-14) and the data used for national consumer price indexes in Tanzania (2011-15). We find that the cost of diet diversity index for Ghana fluctuated seasonally and since mid-2010 rose about 10% per year faster than national inflation, due to rising relative prices for fruit, which also drove up the cost of nutrient adequacy. In Tanzania there were much smaller changes in total daily costs, but more adjustment in the mix of food group...Continue Reading

References

Apr 23, 2015·European Journal of Clinical Nutrition·J C Gerdessen, J H M de Vries
Feb 24, 2016·The British Journal of Nutrition·Farideh ShirasebOsman Mohammed Shaibu

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Citations

Aug 30, 2019·Current Developments in Nutrition·Brenna KirkLindsay M Jaacks
Nov 27, 2020·Maternal & Child Nutrition·Mia M BlakstadWafaie W Fawzi
Nov 12, 2019·The Lancet Global Health·Kalle HirvonenWilliam A Masters
Dec 29, 2020·Food and Nutrition Bulletin·Adam DrewnowskiStefanie Vandevijvere
Dec 6, 2020·Science Advances·Yan BaiWilliam A Masters
Mar 12, 2021·Nutrition Reviews·Theresa RyckmanHarriet Torlesse
Mar 23, 2021·Food Policy·Kalyani RaghunathanAnna Herforth
May 13, 2021·Public Health Nutrition·Stella NordhagenPeter J Winch

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