Can controlling food prices reduce the percentage of undernourished in a population?
As we travel around the world, we often find that food is more expensive in developed countries. For example, Statista records showed that a Big Mac in Switzerland cost USD7.54, but is only USD1.89, ¼ the price in India. Doesn’t it mean that people in less developed countries have access to cheaper food and thus is able to afford to maintain a nutritious diet? Unfortunately, the truth cannot be further away. Even when food prices are low, people living in less developed countries are mostly earning sufficient income to support their basic needs. In Asian Development Bank (ADB) paper on Food Prices and Population Health in Developing Countries published in 2013, it was reported that rising food prices pose an harmful effect on the health and nutrition of a population, especially those in developing countries. When people are earning just enough to bring food to the table, rising prices is going to erode their purchasing power and forces them to reduce their quality of food intake. ...