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Tracking the affordability of least-cost healthy diets helps guide intervention for food security and improved nutrition

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  • William A. Masters

Abstract

This Policy Comment describes how the Food Policy article entitled 'Cost and affordability of nutritious diets at retail prices: Evidence from 177 countries' (first published October 2020) and 'Retail consumer price data reveal gaps and opportunities to monitor food systems for nutrition' (first published September 2021) advanced the use of least-cost benchmark diets to monitor and improve food security. Those papers contributed to the worldwide use of least-cost diets as a new diagnostic indicator of food access, helping to distinguish among causes of poor diet quality related to high prices, low incomes, or displacement by other food options, thereby guiding intervention toward universal access to healthy diets.

Suggested Citation

  • William A. Masters, 2025. "Tracking the affordability of least-cost healthy diets helps guide intervention for food security and improved nutrition," Papers 2506.22965, arXiv.org.
    • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2506.22965
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    File URL: http://arxiv.org/pdf/2506.22965
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gilbert, Rachel & Costlow, Leah & Matteson, Julia & Rauschendorfer, Jakob & Krivonos, Ekaterina & Block, Steven A. & Masters, William A., 2024. "Trade policy reform, retail food prices and access to healthy diets worldwide," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
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    Cited by:

    1. Ameye, Hannah & Hülsen, Vivien & Glatzel, Katrin & Laar, Amos & Qaim, Matin, 2025. "Urbanizing food environments in Africa: Challenges and opportunities for improving accessibility, affordability, convenience, and desirability of healthy diets," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).

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