ESA Working Paper No. 03-10
Explaining Success in Reducing Under-
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Agricultural and Development Economics Division |
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ABSTRACTThe FAO Food Security measure shows that the number of under-nourished Ghanaians has fallen from 64 to 12 percent between 1979-1981 and 1998-2000. Since income distribution is assumed to have remained constant the change is due entirely to increased food availability. The paper shows that most of the increase in the DES was explained by an expansion in maize, cassava, yam and plantain production. The production increase is mostly due to acreage expansion which in turn can be attributed to the improved economic environment and market access for farmers. Improved varieties did help raise yields for maize and cassava quite substantially and helped raise output, particularly in the 1990s. Much of the reduction in under-nourishment was driven by increased cassava production and we note that a break in the series in 1991 throws some doubt on the usefulness of using the data to draw comparison between 1979-1981 and 1998-2000. The reduction in hunger was driven by economic growth
which raised the incomes of many Ghanaians. While food supply kept up with increased demand, the
incidence of poverty remains particularly high for Other indicators of food-poverty and under-nutrition suggest that while Ghana made progress in reducing hunger the achievements have not been as spectacular as suggested by FAO’s measure of under-nourishment. Or, to turn this around, the evidence would suggest that nationally food availability is no longer the key constraint, rather economic access is. |
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© FAO 2003 |
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