Impact of the Economic Adjustment and Restructuring Programs on Food Consumption Patterns of the Poor in Greater Amman, Jordan

A food survey has been conducted in Amman, the capital of Jordan, with the overall objective to identify the impact of the “Economic Adjustment and Restructuring Programs” on the food consumption patterns of the poor population. Since the implementation of these programs 1987, the poor consume less food and energy- producing nutrients. The food consumption patterns of the poor consist mainly of food items that are characterized by low- income elasticity of demand; such as cereal products, legumes, sugar and oils. Cereal products present 35% of the total protein, 69% of carbohydrates, and 53% of the total energy intake. The daily consumed food of the individual of this population produced about 6lgr. from both protein and fats, 370 gr. carbohydrates and 2250 Kcal/capita/day, while the daily shortage of these items for the individual was 14.2 gr. of total protein, 4.4 gr. of animal protein, 8.9 gr. of oils and fats, 33.6 gr. of carbohydrates and 270 of Kcal /capita /day. To cover this shortage, an additional consumption of about 25gr. of poultry, 100gr.of milk, 40 gr. of broad beans and 2 gr. of fat with a total additional cost of about JD 233/family/year are needed to save the poor from malnutrition. The study revealed that the abject poverty line comes up to JD 170/family/month instead of the official estimation of JD 150. Moreover, the food budget of the poor is not sufficient to cover the cost of the required food. Therefore, a food subsidy is not elusive in spite of the commitment of the Jordanian government to the economic adjustment programs