Measuring Poverty for Food Security Analysis: Consumption- Versus Asset-Based Approaches
Lisa Hjelm1, Astrid Mathiassen1,2, Amit Wadhwa1
11 United Nations World Food Programme Headquarters, Rome, Italy.
Food and Nutrition Bulletin
|June 24, 2016
Summary
Wealth indices and household consumption are related but not interchangeable for analyzing food security inequalities. Both measures offer unique insights into food access and vulnerability across different populations.
Area of Science:
- Socioeconomic Determinants of Health
- Food Security and Nutrition
- Development Economics
Background:
- Poverty and food insecurity are closely linked, with resource-poor households struggling to access adequate nutrition.
- Traditional consumption and expenditure surveys for identifying poverty are resource-intensive.
- Asset ownership and housing characteristics offer a less costly alternative for wealth assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if wealth indices (asset-based) complement household consumption data in analyzing food security inequalities.
- To assess the added value of stock-based wealth measures alongside flow-based consumption measures.
Main Methods:
- Utilized comprehensive data from Nepal, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Madagascar.
- Examined correlations and classification overlaps between household wealth indices and per capita consumption.
- Analyzed food security indicators (quantity, quality, vulnerability) across wealth and consumption quintiles.
Main Results:
- Wealth indices showed moderate correlation (0.5-0.6) with per capita consumption.
- Food insecurity prevalence consistently decreased from poorer to wealthier quintiles across all countries and measures.
- Inequalities in food consumption share were more pronounced across wealth index quintiles than consumption quintiles.
Conclusions:
- Wealth indices and per capita consumption are related and influence food security but are not interchangeable for analysis.
- Each measure provides distinct information, highlighting the importance of using both for a comprehensive understanding of food security inequalities.
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