Abstract
Falling real incomes, inequality in income distribution and the increased incidence of poverty have led to a both qualitative and quantitative deterioration in the average Russian’s diet. This analysis, which is based on a comprehensive household survey conducted in the mid-1990s, reveals that 19 percent of Russian families are poor according to at least two of the different poverty indicators used. It shows that, for the majority of rural and urban households, subsistence production of food is an important private mechanism for coping with the transformation risks of market failures. The subsistence sector is likely to be a long-term reality in Russia, that will continue to exist at least until the economy stabilizes and a sound social-security system supersedes this private insurance mechanism.
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von Braun, J., Qaim, M., tho Seeth, H. (2000). Poverty, Subsistence Production, and Consumption of Food in Russia: Policy Implications. In: Wehrheim, P., Frohberg, K., Serova, E., von Braun, J. (eds) Russia’s Agro-Food Sector. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4531-6_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4531-6_13
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