Calculation of Deficits
Both models use ranges to estimate food deficit in different socio-economic HH’s. A range is when you take the least and the most eg: 0-10% deficit of milk, and then compare it to ‘normal’.
1. “Food security story” (which is what we are using because our primary aim is to fine tune the targeting of WFP, and work out HH deficit according to different typologies of HHs as Identified by WFP (VAM) and other sources such as the world bank, international NGOs and local authorities.
How do we calculate the deficit by looking at the story? We analyse their situation by asking them to draw a “pie” of their food sources. Then we ask them to draw a pie of their food sources in the present shock and compare the two. Will an unaffected food course be able to be used to compensate for the loss?
If we know how much food people are likely to receive/store in their HHs we can project how well they will survive for a particular period. This can be converted easily from kilograms to kilo-calorie equivalents.
2. Energy based model – kilo-calorie based formula.
This model is useful for contexts where we are calculating the appropriateness of WFP’s food ration intervention. Usually focus on main foods ‘staple foods’ (such as grains) rather than the small less commonly eaten foods. Bear in mind it is not easy to quantify kilo-calorie intake with accurately. What we are looking for therefore, is a general idea of kilo-calorie intake. Information on food preparation, crop preparation, and number of meals per day is important as well as some knowledge about kilo calorie levels of local foods typically eaten in Georgia.
Emphasis should be on calculating percentage CHANGE in diet and number of meals, stored food deficits and other quantified and qualified deficits in different typologies of Households.
Therefore when collecting the information for the PIE deficits, record info in terms of percentages. (Once we have worked out the number of kilocals per HH, we can work out percentage deficit ).
NOTE - WFP varies when calculating the average number of people in a HH from country to country. The number of kilo-calories per person per day also varies.
Questions:
What percent does one food source contribute to the HH’s total food income?
OR:
How large is one slice in the sources of the food pie chart?
Assumptions:
The minimum required calorific intake per day is 2100 kcals;
One household has 4 members
Example;
You have identified that people in a HH in a particular group typically (BASELINE) consume ½ kilo loaf each of (wheatflour) bread per day. What percent is this of their daily food needs? (a ½ kilo loaf of bread uses about 250 grams of wheatflour.
1 person needs 2100 per day.
(4 people need 8400 per day.)
Wheat, like most cereals, is very high in energy. Hence it is usually used as a staple food, especially by people who are poor and cannot afford to buy many less “filling” calorific foods.
1 kg of wheat flour = 3460 kcals/4 = 865
865
2100 x100 = 41.1% PPPD
You have identified that since the drought, people are now eating ½ kilo loaf of bread over two days, and predict that they will continue to do so until the next spring. What percent is that of their daily food needs?
( 41.1 / 2 = 20.5%)
Example 2:
What is the daily kilo-calorie intake for this family?
Very Poor HH
(/4people – we
have established
this from the inter-
viewing…
(Per Person Per Day)
Milk: 64 x 5 = 160
Sugar: 200
Bread 1 loaf: 3460
Empty Soup: 90 onion+87carrot+45oil+75potato
Beans: 339 x 4 = 1356
= kcals/4 = 1368.25 kcals per day
1368.25/ 2100 x 100 = 65.15%
This HH has an overall deficit PPPD of 34.85%
Therefore they are in need of a WFP ration to see them through the winter months, and to prevent them from falling into further distress.
When we are doing the interviews, to make our lives easier, try to ask ;
How much they have decided they can afford to eat in their HH for the next 8 months.
Will the diet improve in the spring?
HOW?
We are mostly interested in the high calorific staple foods they are eating.
Therefore…In the case of livestock owners, we have to establish:
1. Are they exchanging their milk/ cheese/ curd for grain/ bread?
2. Are they storing any of the meat they slaughter? How much?
3. What will they do with the income gained from the meat? If they buy food, how much? What types of food?
Please remember that each different TYPE (Socio-economic group) of household should be eating more/ less food and better/worse quality food. If they aren’t then we have to readdress our criteria for who is more vulnerable.