The Impact of the World Food Price Crisis on Nutrition in China

34 Pages Posted: 8 Oct 2008

See all articles by Robert T. Jensen

Robert T. Jensen

UCLA School of Public Affairs; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Nolan H. Miller

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Date Written: August 2008

Abstract

World food prices have increased dramatically in recent years. We use panel data from 2006 to examine the impact of these increases on the consumption and nutrition of poor households in two Chinese provinces. We find that households in Hunan suffered no nutrition declines. Households in Gansu experienced a small decline in calories, though the decline is on par with usual seasonal effects. The overall nutritional impact of the world price increase was small because households were able to substitute to cheaper foods and because the domestic prices of staple foods remained low due to government intervention in grain markets.

Keywords: Economics - Microeconomics, International Development, Welfare, Health Care, Social Policy

Suggested Citation

Jensen, Robert T. and Miller, Nolan, The Impact of the World Food Price Crisis on Nutrition in China (August 2008). HKS Working Paper No. RWP08-039, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1280362 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1280362

Robert T. Jensen (Contact Author)

UCLA School of Public Affairs ( email )

Box 951656
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1656
United States
310-825-9865 (Phone)

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

Nolan Miller

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ( email )

1206 South Sixth Street
Champaign, IL 61820
United States
1-217-244-2847 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.business.illinois.edu/nmiller

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
210
Abstract Views
1,650
Rank
262,773
PlumX Metrics