Journal of
Development and Agricultural Economics

  • Abbreviation: J. Dev. Agric. Econ.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 2006-9774
  • DOI: 10.5897/JDAE
  • Start Year: 2009
  • Published Articles: 547

Full Length Research Paper

Cost-minimizing food budgets in Ghana

Francis Addeah Darko
  • Francis Addeah Darko
  • Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, 403 West State Street, Krannert Bldg.West Lafayette, IN 47907, Indiana, United States
  • Search for this author on:
  • Google Scholar
Benjamin Allen
  • Benjamin Allen
  • Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, 403 West State Street, Krannert Bldg.West Lafayette, IN 47907, Indiana, United States
  • Search for this author on:
  • Google Scholar
John Mazunda
  • John Mazunda
  • Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, 403 West State Street, Krannert Bldg.West Lafayette, IN 47907, Indiana, United States
  • Search for this author on:
  • Google Scholar
Rafiullah Rahimzai
  • Rafiullah Rahimzai
  • Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, 403 West State Street, Krannert Bldg.West Lafayette, IN 47907, Indiana, United States
  • Search for this author on:
  • Google Scholar
Craig Dobbins
  • Craig Dobbins
  • Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, 403 West State Street, Krannert Bldg.West Lafayette, IN 47907, Indiana, United States
  • Search for this author on:
  • Google Scholar


  •  Accepted: 16 January 2013
  •  Published: 30 April 2013

Abstract

 

Attaining the daily required nutritional recommendations is a major challenge in Ghana where the average person earns about $1.89 per day. A linear programming diet model is used to determine the cheapest basket of food items that satisfy the recommended daily nutritional requirements of the average Ghanaian. Initial findings show that an average Ghanaian requires $0.36 per day to meet his daily nutritional needs. This would be met with a food basket made up of sorghum, yam, cassava, coconut and milk. With this food basket and the estimated food expenditure, the average person in Ghana would save about 40% of his/her daily food expenditure. Sensitivity analyses are also performed to test the robustness of the findings.

 

Key words: Developing countries, nutrition, minimum costs, linear programming.

Copyright © 2024 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article.

This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

Back to Vol. 5 No. 4
Back to articles
SUBSCRIBE TO RSS
SUBMIT MANUSCRIPT
CONFERENCES