Policies Aimed at Demographic Causes of Undernutrition

Text extracted from:

The World Food Problem

Leathers & Foster, 2004

http://www.lastfirst.net/images/product/R004548.jpg

Reduced Population Growth results in more food per person

• A successful policy to reduce population growth – Will result in lower food prices

– And lower food quantity

• But the drop in population growth – Reduces demand more than the

drop in food quantity

• Thus food availability per person increaseshttp://www.ifpri.org/pubs/books/gfp/globalfoodprojections2020_graph05.jpg

Rapid Population Growth

• Problems:– Prices Increase– Education more difficult– Capital/person drops– Inequity increases

• All increase undernutrition– Children hurt most– Thus reducing family size

important

• Need to speed up demographic transition

http://www.populationaction.org/resources/factsheets/factsheet30.htm

How to hasten demographic transition

• Increase income– But initially may have more

children– Pensions mean: need to have

fewer children

• Increase Education– Especially of women

• Increases employment• Increases family planning

• Increase Health Care– Reduces infant mortality

• Thus need to have fewer children

Pronatalist Public Policy

• Old policies that promote having children– When many children died from

• Wars• Famines• Infectious Diseases

– Common throughout world• Tax Deductions• Unlimited subsidized maternity

leave• Child care subsidies

• Need new policies to favor small families

http://www.geocities.com/heartland/park/5876/guadtaylorgarcia.jpg

Incentives for small families

• Tea Estates, India– Maternity and child

benefits paid by Tea Estate• But mothers receive

retirement for each month do not have children

– Retirement account is charged if have 3 or more children

• To pay for maternity and child benefits

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39537000/jpg/_39537645_teagarden203.jpg

Disincentives for large families

• China one child policy– if sign contract to have only one

child• Receive Glory Certificate

– Priority child care– Priority medical care– Priority admission to schools– Increased income– Larger housing

– If have 2 kids• Must return benefits• Income reduced

– If have 3 kids• Increased sanctions

http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/755000/images/_755525_child150.jpg

Population projection for China

http://trak.in/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/windowslivewriterindiaandchinathedifferenceinpopulationgr-6d9india-overtakes-china-in-population10.png

Fertility Rates

• Higher marriage age– Fertility reduced 1.4 child

• Increased contraception use– Fertility reduced 4.5 child

• Induced abortion– Fertility reduced .5 child

• Reduced breast feeding– Fertility increased 1.5 child

                                                                                        

Contraceptive use, Cambodiahttp://www.prb.org/Template.cfm?Section=PRB&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=8690

Family Planning

• Many women want to limit their family– May have limited

access to family planning

http://www.prb.org/Template.cfm?Section=PRB&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=8690

                                                                                        

Desire for children among married women, Cambodia