Comparative analysis of the food and nutrients demand in developing countries: The case of main vegetable products in South Asian countries

Abstract

Being the most populous countries of South Asia, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh together represent about 37% of the world total undernourished population. In the article, there are calculated the expenditure elasticities and the own and cross non-compensated price elasticities of main vegetable products of these countries by using the LA-AIDS model. There are used the elasticity estimates to decompose the recent demand fluctuations into price effect, income effect and population effect for each country. then the ways for the government to improve the protein and energy intake after calculating the vegetable protein and calories elasticities are compared. Wheat and rice in these countries are relatively price inelastic. For these three countries, the population development (as well as the revenue for India and Bangladesh) appears to be the most important and regular cause of the augmentation of demand for vegetable products. A combination of income and price policies may be more effective in influencing the consumption pattern. The government should aim at improving the income level of most vulnerable consumers (low income group) in these countries.