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Variety, prices and food status in low-income households

1991; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 23; Issue: 6 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/00036849100000004

1466-4283

James R. Blaylock,

Agricultural Economics and Policy

The basic premise of this paper is that a household receives utility directly from the status of a food composite good which is created by combining a household's skill and creativity in preparing foods, other inputs, and the kinds and amounts of foods available. We proceed to investigate the factors influencing the demand for and prodcution of this composite good. The demand for food status in influenced most by the following characteristics: race, education, houshold size, homeownership, region of household residence and income. Direct price effects were minor. Estimates of a food status production function imply that the production of food status is not much a matter of the quantities of foods consumed but rather the types of food purchased (variety) and the creativity of the homemaker.