Factors affecting household carbohydrate food consumption in Central Java: Before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a change in food demand. In Central Java, during the pandemic (2021), the proportion of expenditure on the grain food group was higher than in 2020; meanwhile, the proportion of the ready-to-eat food group decreased. This study aims to analyze the pattern of food consumption of carbohydrate sources, the influencing factors, and the elasticity of consumption in households in Central Java before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study uses data from the National Socio-Economic Survey (Susenas) for 12 districts/cities in Central Java consisting of 9,812 in 2019 and 10,636 households samples in 2021. Data analysis used the Linear Approximation Almost Ideal Demand System (LA-AIDS) method. Results of the study show that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused changes in the household consumption pattern of carbohydrate-source food in Central Java. The proportion of expenditure on rice, wheat flour, shelled corn, cassava, and potatoes has increased. On the other hand, wet corn, instant noodles, and white rice decreased. The price of food sources of carbohydrates and the number of household members positively affect the consumption of food sources of carbohydrates. At the same time, income has a negative effect. There are differences in the effect of the location of the residence on the consumption of food sources of carbohydrates before and during the pandemic. The value of own-price elasticity and income elasticity shows that before the pandemic, rice was a staple good whose consumption was inelastic. Before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, wheat flour, wet-skinned corn, shelled corn, potatoes, white rice, and cassava in the pre-pandemic period was Giffen because the price elasticity was positive, and the income elasticity was negative. Meanwhile, rice during the pandemic, instant noodles before and during the pandemic, and cassava were Veblen goods because their price and income elasticity were positive. Cross elasticity shows that before the pandemic, most of the relationships between food sources of carbohydrates were substitutes, while during the pandemic, most of the relationships between food sources of carbohydrates were complementary.

The Role of Root and Tuber Crops on Food Diversification Facing the Climate Change in East Java Indonesia

“…Table 1 shows that the average consumption for root and tuber crops was 0,69 kg/household/week (11,23% from carbohydrates foods), whereas rice consumption amount 4,86 kg/household/week (79,68 %), maize amount 0,25 kg/household/week (4,13%) and cereals amount 0,3 kg/household/week (4,96%). Rice is the main source and staple food of carbohydrates [7,8,9]. In accordance with the results of this research which shows that people still depend on rice for their source of carbohydrates.…”

“…In facing climate change, it is necessary to develop alternative food sources that are more adaptive to the specific environmental and social conditions of the society, thus the society is able to sustainably maintain the availability of food sources, nutrition, and income, especially for farmers. Rice has become the primary and first staple food in Indonesia [7,8,9]. Food diversification is an effort to reduce people's consumption dependence on one dominant type of food [10,11].…”