Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Lorestan, Iran.
Front Public Health. 2024 May 31;12:1354099. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1354099. eCollection 2024.
The lack of access to a diverse and nutritious diet has significant health consequences worldwide. Governments have employed various policy mechanisms to ensure access, but their success varies.
In this study, the impact of changes in food assistance policy on food prices and nutrient security in different provinces of Iran, a sanctioned country, was investigated using statistical and econometric models.
Both the old and new policies were broad in scope, providing subsidized food or cash payments to the entire population. However, the implementation of these policies led to an increase in the market price of food items, resulting in a decline in the intake of essential nutrients. Particularly, the policy that shifted food assistance from commodity subsidies to direct cash payments reduced the price sensitivity of consumers. Consequently, the intake of key nutrients such as Vitamin C and Vitamin A, which are often constrained by their high prices, decreased. To improve the diets of marginalized populations, it is more effective to target subsidies towards specific nutrient groups and disadvantaged populations, with a particular focus on food groups that provide essential nutrients like Vitamin A and Vitamin C in rural areas of Iran.
More targeted food assistance policies, tailored to the specific context of each province and income level, are more likely to yield positive nutritional outcomes with minimal impact on food prices.
全球范围内，人们无法获得多样化和营养丰富的饮食，这对健康造成了重大影响。各国政府采用了各种政策机制来确保食品供应，但效果各不相同。
本研究利用统计和计量经济学模型，调查了伊朗（一个受制裁国家）不同省份的食品援助政策变化对食品价格和营养安全的影响。
新旧政策的覆盖范围都很广泛，为全体居民提供补贴食品或现金支付。然而，这些政策的实施导致了食品价格的上涨，从而减少了人们对基本营养物质的摄入。特别是，将食品援助从商品补贴转向直接现金支付的政策降低了消费者对价格的敏感度。结果，维生素 C 和维生素 A 等关键营养物质的摄入量减少，这些物质往往受到高价的限制。为了改善边缘化人群的饮食，更有效的方法是将补贴针对特定的营养物质群体和弱势群体，特别是在伊朗农村地区，针对提供维生素 A 和维生素 C 等必需营养物质的食品群体。
更有针对性的食品援助政策，根据每个省份和收入水平的具体情况进行定制，更有可能在对食品价格影响最小的情况下带来积极的营养结果。
