Dr. Nicholas Dadzie
Dr. Nicholas Dadzie presents the paper titled “Are Households Nutrient-conscious when making Shock-induced Food Consumption Decisions are made? Panel Data evidence from Rural Ethiopia.” This Economics Seminar is Friday, Jan. 15, at 3 p.m. in Bentley Annex 302.
Dadzie is Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics at Ohio University.
Summary: The lack of vital nutrients in rural household food bundles remains a major concern in most developing countries. Consumption of nutritious diets is further threatened by the incidence of shocks among rural households. This study analyzes the effect of shocks on household food consumption decisions and the implications for household nutrition in rural Ethiopia. The evidence shows that households are able to smooth their cereal consumption from rainfall shocks, livestock shocks and illness of a household member. However, consumption of protein foods, fruits and vegetables (key nutrients for household well-being) remains susceptible to livestock shocks and household illness. The susceptibility of protein foods and fruits and vegetable consumption to livestock shocks does not change when female bargaining power and the ratio of children in the household are taken into account. Since calorie adequacy can coexist with micro-nutrient deficiency, a recommendation from this essay is that policy efforts should focus both on calorie and micro-nutrient consumption among rural households.
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