The impact of the Devaluation of the Surinamese Dollar (2015 –2016) on Food Intake in Suriname

Abstract

Objective: A currency devaluation influences food prices and populations’ diet, especially in developing countries and within poorer households, resulting in the consumption of cheaper, and therefore often lower quality diets. Reduced consumption of high-quality foods restrains the protective health benefits of these foods towards the incidence of NCDs, and increases the risk of microand macronutrient deficiencies among populations that are already subject to food and nutrition insecurity. Despite global evidence of higher food prices directly affecting populations’ health status, and as such possibly jeopardizing economic performance and rural development, there has been no research conducted on the effect of rising food prices on food intake in Suriname yet. As such, the objective of this study was to assemble primary food consumption data, with respect to pre-and post-devaluation food intake patterns of Surinamese households. This with the goal to report changes in post-devaluation dietary intake, in order to better comprehend the future implications for health, facilitating evidence-based policy development and nutrition intervention planning. Results: Higher food prices resulted in low, middle and high-income groups increasing the expenditures on food (p <0.01). Reductions in the proportion of households’ significantly lowering the post-devaluation intake of high-quality foods, such as fruits, vegetables, lean meat and fatty fish were observed (p<0.01). Furthermore, changes in the intake of low-quality foods were witnessed as well, with proportions of households significantly reducing the intake of discretionary foods and terminating eating out-of-home (p <0.01). Conclusion: The fall of the Surinamese currency, in combination with country’s dependency on imported foods, increased local food prices and with salaries remaining the same, resulted in both lowerand higherincome households increasing their food expenditures. Post-devaluation changes in regular dietary pattern and food intake enrolled, with a significant reduction in the consumption of high-quality foods being noticed, especially within lower-economic households. On the one hand, significant proportions of Surinamese households possess a decreased probability of consuming healthy diets. On the other hand, households with also a significant reduction in the intake of low-quality foods might encounter a beneficial health impact if already coping with overweight and related non-communicable diseases.