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When Are People Poor and Hungry?

When Are People Poor and Hungry?. To what extent is poverty/hunger chronic and to what extent is it temporary ? (In U.S. and LDCs) Which factors contribute to chronic poverty/hunger and which to temporary poverty/hunger?. Spend a few minutes writing down your own answers.

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When Are People Poor and Hungry?

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  1. When Are People Poor and Hungry?

  2. To what extent is poverty/hunger chronic and to what extent is it temporary? (In U.S. and LDCs) Which factors contribute to chronic poverty/hunger and which to temporary poverty/hunger? Spend a few minutes writing down your own answers. Break into five groups; each group develop a common set of answers on one page. Each group select a spokesperson to write answers on board and explain. When Are People Poor and Hungry?

  3. Temporary (?) Poverty in India • Sample: 211 agriculture households in central India between 1975-1983: • 12% were never poor • 19% were poor every year • 69% moved in and out of poverty • In an “average year”: 84% of poor were poor last year • 16% fell into poverty (were not poor prior year) • 75% of the non-poor were not poor last year • 25% rose out of poverty from the prior year

  4. Duration of Poverty in Rural India: Sample of 211 Households 1975-1983

  5. Duration of Poverty in the U.S.

  6. What Does It Mean? • Why are people moving in and out of poverty? • Is it good news or bad news?

  7. Some Causes Of Temporary Poverty/Hunger • Seasonality: “hungry season” at planting • Regional Crises: avian flu; drought; recession • Personal Crises: injury; illness; cow dies • Life Cycle • Job loss: globalization? • No safety net [Which apply most to greatest number of poor in rural areas?]

  8. Some Causes Of Chronic Poverty/Hunger • Malnutrition: LBW; childhood malnutrition • Birth: into poverty; caste; ethnicity • Education: skills • Language • Location: rural/urban; inland; dryland; hill lands • Policies • Assets: land; infrastructure; credit • Governance?: “No Development Without Democracy” USAID, Frontlines, December, 2003

  9. Seasonality: • A problem for the poor and near-poor in rural areas • Examples from Asia and Africa

  10. Seasonality Of Income: Bangladesh

  11. Seasonal, rice price, India

  12. Rainfall In West Africa (mm)

  13. Seasonal Variation in Rural Women’s Energy Expenditure in the Gambia

  14. Seasonality of Women’s Employment: Tamil Nadu

  15. Energy, Work, Weight in the Gambia

  16. Seasonality in the Gambia (2) • Distinct, single rainy season creates sharp labor peaks and valleys. Common. • Large increase in food intake in post harvest season - Why? • Available (own produce) • Festivals (link to avail; ex.Thanksgiving) • Minimize loss in storage • Avoid sharing with others later when food scarce

  17. Seasonality in the Gambia (3) • Large crop sales after harvest when prices low. Why? • Pent up demand for clothes, household goods, etc. • Pay taxes and school fees • Easier to hide money than food from relatives • Food shortage in preharvest season. Why? • Household stocks gone • Market prices high • Sales receipts gone • Irregular availability of imported rice in stores • Shifting more land from food crops to groundnuts for sale • Burkina Faso example of crop sales/purchases

  18. Seasonality in the Gambia (4) • Postharvest weight gain provides energy for heavy work over a short period for digging fields • Weight loss starts with heavy labor, before major food shortage • By November, 10% of energy expenditure is from body fat • Women increased time on farming to 3.5 hours a day by decreasing time on food preparations and household chores, (including childcare?)

  19. Seasonality in the Gambia (5) • During rainy season, i.e., preharvest there was: • Marked decline in breast milk for women in 2nd to 6th month of lactation • Decline in average birth weight • Increase in low birth weight babies

  20. Seasonality in the Gambia (6) • Dietary supplements for pregnant women increased birth weights • Dietary supplements for lactating women did NOTincrease breast milk and may reduce time to fertility • Sample of 50 women 20-35 years old, expected to conceive, not 1st child1978-1989 Source: Lawrence, et al in Sahn

  21. Seasonality and Children • Seasonality problems for children are significantly related to reduced immunity and disease seasonality • Malaria in rainy season (i.e., preharvest, when food scarce) • Worms in rainy season (ditto) • Respiratory infections via increased contact in cold, dry season • Diarrhea (timing depends on causes)

  22. “Timing Is Everything”Cotton And Food Production In Geita District (NW) Tanzania

  23. Actual Labor Calendar

  24. Hypothetical Labor Calendar

  25. Crisis: Sahelian Drought of Early 1970s

  26. Cattle Sold after Sharp Weight Loss Meant Lower Price/Animal. Market Glut Probably Caused Even Lower Prices

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