Long-Term Impacts of an Unanticipated Risk Event : The 2007/08 Food Price Crisis and Child Growth in Indonesia
Unanticipated spikes in food prices can increase malnutrition among the poor, with lasting consequences; however, livelihood strategies that include producing food for home consumption are expected to offer a measure of protection. Using anthropome...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2016
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/04/26207529/long-term-impacts-unanticipated-risk-event-200708-food-price-crisis-child-growth-indonesia http://hdl.handle.net/10986/24202 |
| Summary: | Unanticipated spikes in food prices can
increase malnutrition among the poor, with lasting
consequences; however, livelihood strategies that include
producing food for home consumption are expected to offer a
measure of protection. Using anthropometric and consumption
data from Indonesia collected before and after the 2007/08
food price crisis, this paper finds evidence of both
effects. Based on standardized height and weight measures,
the results indicate that soaring food prices had a
significant and negative impact on child growth among
non-farming households. A corresponding effect was
undetectable for food-producing households. The results
remain robust when income effects from increased commercial
sales and possible attritions through migration and
fostering are considered. Further, local food price changes
were uncorrelated with the share of non-farming village
households and the initial average child nutrition status in
the village, suggesting that the observed outcomes are
directly attributable to market events and livelihood
strategies. Interestingly, gender differences were not
detected. The findings imply that the food price crises can
have negative impacts on children, potentially leading to
lifelong income inequality among those affected at a
vulnerable stage of life. |
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