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The Impact of Rising Food Prices on the Poor

Author

Listed:
  • Zezza, Alberto
  • Davis, Benjamin
  • Azzarri, Carlo
  • Covarrubias, Katia
  • Tasciotti, Luca
  • Anriquez, Gustavo

Abstract

This paper analyzes the household level impact of an increase in price of major tradable staple foods in a cross section of developing countries, using nationally representative household surveys. We find that, in the short term, poorer households and households with limited asset endowments and access to agricultural inputs will be hit the hardest by the price shock. Given the ample degree of heterogeneity among households and among the poor, the analysis emphasizes the importance of meaningful policy research to go beyond average impacts to look at how access to assets and inputs, livelihood strategies and other key household characteristics drive the magnitude and distribution of the effects of the price increases.

Suggested Citation

  • Zezza, Alberto & Davis, Benjamin & Azzarri, Carlo & Covarrubias, Katia & Tasciotti, Luca & Anriquez, Gustavo, 2009. "The Impact of Rising Food Prices on the Poor," 2009 Conference, August 16-22, 2009, Beijing, China 51696, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:iaae09:51696
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.51696
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    • Zezza, Alberto & Davis, Benjamin & Azzarri, Carlo & Covarrubias, Katia & Tasciotti, Luca & Anríquez, Gustavo, 2008. "The impact of rising food prices on the poor," ESA Working Papers 289027, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Agricultural Development Economics Division (ESA).
    • Alberto Zezza & Benjamin Davis & Carlo Azzarri & Katia Covarrubias & Luca Tasciotti & Gustavo Anriquez, 2008. "The Impact of Rising Food Prices on the Poor," Working Papers 08-07, Agricultural and Development Economics Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO - ESA).

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zezza, Alberto & Winters, Paul C. & Davis, Benjamin & Carletto, Calogero & Covarrubias, Katia & Quinones, Esteban & Stamoulis, Kostas G. & Di Giuseppe, Stefania, 2007. "Rural Household Access to Assets and Agrarian Institutions: A Cross Country Comparison," 106th Seminar, October 25-27, 2007, Montpellier, France 7925, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    2. Sébastien Dessus & Santiago Herrera & Rafael De Hoyos, 2008. "The impact of food inflation on urban poverty and its monetary cost: some back‐of‐the‐envelope calculations," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 39(s1), pages 417-429, November.
    3. Davis, Benjamin & Winters, Paul & Carletto, Gero & Covarrubias, Katia & Quiñones, Esteban J. & Zezza, Alberto & Stamoulis, Kostas & Azzarri, Carlo & DiGiuseppe, Stefania, 2010. "A Cross-Country Comparison of Rural Income Generating Activities," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 48-63, January.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Agricultural and Food Policy; Consumer/Household Economics; Demand and Price Analysis; Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety; Food Security and Poverty;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q12 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets
    • Q18 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Policy; Food Policy
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products

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