The Impact of Food Price Crises on the Demand for Nutrients in Pakistan

The global economic crisis in 2007–2008 resulted in a tremendous food price increase that is likely to have adversely affected the food security and nutritional status in many developing countries. Understanding how nutritional intakes may have changed as a result of the food price crisis is important, especially for Pakistan, the country under scrutiny which, despite of being a large producer of staple food, suffers from severe problems of undernourishment. We used two survey rounds, 2005–2006 and 2010–2011, to investigate how calorie and macronutrient intakes have evolved. The analysis was carried out with the use of a time varying model and is enriched by an in-depth investigation for different quantiles. The results show that food security deteriorated because of the food price crisis. In the light of this outcome, policy implications are discussed.