Publication: The Cost of a Nutritious Diet in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal
Date
2021-03
ISSN
Published
2021-03
Author(s)
Dizon, Felipe
Wang, Zetianyu
Mulmi, Prajula
Abstract
This paper calculates and compares the
minimum cost of a recommended diet across four countries in
South Asia. The analysis finds that the cost of a
recommended diet is highest in the smaller countries, such
as Bhutan and Nepal, but because of differences in
purchasing power, more households are unable to afford the
cost of a recommended diet in India. Within countries, the
cost and affordability vary across urban and rural areas,
subnational areas, and seasons of the year. The cost of
perishable food items, such as vegetables and fruits, drives
the differences across subnational areas and seasons. In a
context of constrained resources, this suggests the need for
strategic prioritization of investments and service
improvements in transport and storage of food and, more
broadly, a rethink of food policies.
Citation
“Dizon, Felipe; Wang, Zetianyu; Mulmi, Prajula. 2021. The Cost of a Nutritious Diet in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal. Policy Research Working Paper;No. 9578. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/35285 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
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