Mitigating poverty and undernutrition through social protection: A simulation analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Indonesia

This study addresses the policy-relevant question of how, in the face of major economic shocks, social protection interventions can more effectively mitigate undernutrition. In particular, it considers the scope of scaled-up fortification of staples to avert the “hidden hunger” of micronutrient defi...

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Main Authors: Ecker, Olivier, Alderman, Harold, Comstock, Andrew R., Headey, Derek D., Mahrt, Kristi, Pradesha, Angga
Format: Brief
Language:Inglés
Published: International Food Policy Research Institute 2023
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/140170
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author Ecker, Olivier
Alderman, Harold
Comstock, Andrew R.
Headey, Derek D.
Mahrt, Kristi
Pradesha, Angga
author_browse Alderman, Harold
Comstock, Andrew R.
Ecker, Olivier
Headey, Derek D.
Mahrt, Kristi
Pradesha, Angga
author_facet Ecker, Olivier
Alderman, Harold
Comstock, Andrew R.
Headey, Derek D.
Mahrt, Kristi
Pradesha, Angga
author_sort Ecker, Olivier
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description This study addresses the policy-relevant question of how, in the face of major economic shocks, social protection interventions can more effectively mitigate undernutrition. In particular, it considers the scope of scaled-up fortification of staples to avert the “hidden hunger” of micronutrient deficiencies. As a re-cent and still relevant example, it focuses on the kinds of economic shocks brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic which, especially during the first lockdowns of April 2020, resulted in severe job and income losses for the poor and thus reduction and changes in spending, with urban and rural non-farm households typically affected more severely than farm households. However, the findings of this study are relevant for other economic shocks that severely reduce household’s disposable income. In this study, we examine the effects of stylized economic shocks on household incomes in Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Indonesia, with a focus on the difference between recommended and actual consumption of particular foods and nutrients. To this end, we use a novel combination of three integrated models to examine impacts and experiment with different types of social protection interventions. In Bangladesh and Indonesia, these are stylized models of the COVID-19 shock and government lock-downs; in Myanmar, however, we model the economic instability that took place after the February 2021 military takeover, which – in conjunction with COVID-19 impacts – resulted in an estimated 18 percent contraction in GDP (World Bank 2022).
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spelling CGSpace1401702025-11-06T06:49:18Z Mitigating poverty and undernutrition through social protection: A simulation analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Indonesia Ecker, Olivier Alderman, Harold Comstock, Andrew R. Headey, Derek D. Mahrt, Kristi Pradesha, Angga income undernutrition coronavirus covid-19 households social protection economics coronavirinae cash transfers food consumption coronavirus disease shocks This study addresses the policy-relevant question of how, in the face of major economic shocks, social protection interventions can more effectively mitigate undernutrition. In particular, it considers the scope of scaled-up fortification of staples to avert the “hidden hunger” of micronutrient deficiencies. As a re-cent and still relevant example, it focuses on the kinds of economic shocks brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic which, especially during the first lockdowns of April 2020, resulted in severe job and income losses for the poor and thus reduction and changes in spending, with urban and rural non-farm households typically affected more severely than farm households. However, the findings of this study are relevant for other economic shocks that severely reduce household’s disposable income. In this study, we examine the effects of stylized economic shocks on household incomes in Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Indonesia, with a focus on the difference between recommended and actual consumption of particular foods and nutrients. To this end, we use a novel combination of three integrated models to examine impacts and experiment with different types of social protection interventions. In Bangladesh and Indonesia, these are stylized models of the COVID-19 shock and government lock-downs; in Myanmar, however, we model the economic instability that took place after the February 2021 military takeover, which – in conjunction with COVID-19 impacts – resulted in an estimated 18 percent contraction in GDP (World Bank 2022). 2023-02-18 2024-03-14T12:09:01Z 2024-03-14T12:09:01Z Brief https://hdl.handle.net/10568/140170 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Ecker, Olivier; Alderman, Harold; Comstock, Andrew R.; Headey, Derek D.; Mahrt, Kristi; and Pradesha, Angga. 2023. Mitigating poverty and undernutrition through social protection: A simulation analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Indonesia. Project Note February 2023. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.136599.
spellingShingle income
undernutrition
coronavirus
covid-19
households
social protection
economics
coronavirinae
cash transfers
food consumption
coronavirus disease
shocks
Ecker, Olivier
Alderman, Harold
Comstock, Andrew R.
Headey, Derek D.
Mahrt, Kristi
Pradesha, Angga
Mitigating poverty and undernutrition through social protection: A simulation analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Indonesia
title Mitigating poverty and undernutrition through social protection: A simulation analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Indonesia
title_full Mitigating poverty and undernutrition through social protection: A simulation analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Indonesia
title_fullStr Mitigating poverty and undernutrition through social protection: A simulation analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Indonesia
title_full_unstemmed Mitigating poverty and undernutrition through social protection: A simulation analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Indonesia
title_short Mitigating poverty and undernutrition through social protection: A simulation analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Indonesia
title_sort mitigating poverty and undernutrition through social protection a simulation analysis of the covid 19 pandemic in bangladesh myanmar and indonesia
topic income
undernutrition
coronavirus
covid-19
households
social protection
economics
coronavirinae
cash transfers
food consumption
coronavirus disease
shocks
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/140170
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