Public policy, food markets, and household coping strategies in Bangladesh: lessons from the 1998 floods

Flooding is a normal part of the ecology of Bangladesh. The 1998 flood was especially serious because of its depth and duration. At its peak, the flood covered two-thirds of the country, causing severe damage to the rice crop and threatening the food security of millions of households. Total rice pr...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: del Ninno, Carlo, Dorosh, Paul A., Smith, Lisa C.
Formato: Brief
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Food Policy Research Institute 2003
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/157507
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author del Ninno, Carlo
Dorosh, Paul A.
Smith, Lisa C.
author_browse Dorosh, Paul A.
Smith, Lisa C.
del Ninno, Carlo
author_facet del Ninno, Carlo
Dorosh, Paul A.
Smith, Lisa C.
author_sort del Ninno, Carlo
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Flooding is a normal part of the ecology of Bangladesh. The 1998 flood was especially serious because of its depth and duration. At its peak, the flood covered two-thirds of the country, causing severe damage to the rice crop and threatening the food security of millions of households. Total rice production losses exceeded 2 million tons—about 10 percent of annual consumption. In sharp contrast to earlier flood disasters, particularly that of 1974, no major food crisis occurred. Instead, large-scale, private-sector imports, made possible by trade liberalization in the early 1990s, stabilized rice markets. Government food transfers to poor households also limited the impact of the flood on household access to food. This paper sheds light on the contribution of price stabilization to household food security following a major natural shock through estimates of the impact of rice prices and other factors on calorie consumption in 1998 and 1999. More broadly, the paper examines the components of the public and private response that prevented a major food crisis.
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spelling CGSpace1575072025-01-10T06:43:39Z Public policy, food markets, and household coping strategies in Bangladesh: lessons from the 1998 floods del Ninno, Carlo Dorosh, Paul A. Smith, Lisa C. safety equipment households flooding rice food security crop losses trade liberalization private sector imports price stabilization state intervention emergency relief Flooding is a normal part of the ecology of Bangladesh. The 1998 flood was especially serious because of its depth and duration. At its peak, the flood covered two-thirds of the country, causing severe damage to the rice crop and threatening the food security of millions of households. Total rice production losses exceeded 2 million tons—about 10 percent of annual consumption. In sharp contrast to earlier flood disasters, particularly that of 1974, no major food crisis occurred. Instead, large-scale, private-sector imports, made possible by trade liberalization in the early 1990s, stabilized rice markets. Government food transfers to poor households also limited the impact of the flood on household access to food. This paper sheds light on the contribution of price stabilization to household food security following a major natural shock through estimates of the impact of rice prices and other factors on calorie consumption in 1998 and 1999. More broadly, the paper examines the components of the public and private response that prevented a major food crisis. 2003 2024-10-24T12:50:22Z 2024-10-24T12:50:22Z Brief https://hdl.handle.net/10568/157507 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute del Ninno, Carlo; Dorosh, Paul A.; Smith, Lisa C. 2003. Public policy, food markets, and household coping strategies in Bangladesh: lessons from the 1998 floods. FCND Discussion Paper Brief. 156. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/157507
spellingShingle safety equipment
households
flooding
rice
food security
crop losses
trade liberalization
private sector
imports
price stabilization
state intervention
emergency relief
del Ninno, Carlo
Dorosh, Paul A.
Smith, Lisa C.
Public policy, food markets, and household coping strategies in Bangladesh: lessons from the 1998 floods
title Public policy, food markets, and household coping strategies in Bangladesh: lessons from the 1998 floods
title_full Public policy, food markets, and household coping strategies in Bangladesh: lessons from the 1998 floods
title_fullStr Public policy, food markets, and household coping strategies in Bangladesh: lessons from the 1998 floods
title_full_unstemmed Public policy, food markets, and household coping strategies in Bangladesh: lessons from the 1998 floods
title_short Public policy, food markets, and household coping strategies in Bangladesh: lessons from the 1998 floods
title_sort public policy food markets and household coping strategies in bangladesh lessons from the 1998 floods
topic safety equipment
households
flooding
rice
food security
crop losses
trade liberalization
private sector
imports
price stabilization
state intervention
emergency relief
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/157507
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