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Subsidising rice and sugar? The Public Distribution System and Nutritional Outcomes in Andhra Pradesh, India

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 July 2020

JANITA BARTELL ,
JASMINE FLEDDERJOHANN Open the ORCID record for JASMINE FLEDDERJOHANN [Opens in a new window] ,
SUKUMAR VELLAKKAL  and
DAVID STUCKLER
JANITA BARTELL
Affiliation:
University of Oxford
JASMINE FLEDDERJOHANN
Affiliation:
Lancaster University, email: j.fledderjohann@lancaster.ac.uk
SUKUMAR VELLAKKAL
Affiliation:
Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani
DAVID STUCKLER
Affiliation:
Bocconi University
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Abstract

India’s main food and nutrition security programme, the Public Distribution System (PDS), provides subsidised rice and sugar to deprived households. Using longitudinal data from Young Lives for Indian children (n = 2,944) aged 5 to 16 years, we assessed whether PDS subsidies skewed diets towards sugar and rice consumption, increasing risk of stunting (low height-for-age). Linear regression models were used to quantify additional rice and sugar consumption associated with accessing the PDS, and the association with stunting linked to consumption. Controlling for sociodemographics, accessing the PDS was positively, significantly associated with consumption of rice (30g/day) and sugar (7.05g/day). There was no evidence that this increase corresponded to nutritional improvements. Each 100g increase in daily rice intake was associated with a lower height-for-age z-score (HAZ) and no decline in stunting. Results were robust to alternative model specifications. There was no evidence that receipt of PDS rice and sugar was associated with improvements in child nutrition.

Keywords

Public distribution systemnutritionfood aidIndiachild healthricesugarstuntingheight-for-age
Type
Article
Information
Journal of Social Policy , Volume 50 , Issue 4 , October 2021 , pp. 681 - 705
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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