The Changes of Household Food Expense - A Case Study in Indonesia and Armenia
The Changes of Household Food Expense - A Case Study in Indonesia and Armenia
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Submitted : March 19th, 2021 ; Revised : March 28th, 2021; Accepted: April 17th, 2021
Abstract
Keywords: The Covid-19 pandemic has had an impact on the availability and
Food distribution of food, but its impact on food consumption at the
expense; food household level was not much known. The aim of the research was
consumption; to analyze changes in food expense during the Covid-19 pandemic
COVID-19 of cases in Indonesia and Armenia. Indonesian case used primary
pandemic; data in April-May 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic. Data
consumer were analyzed descriptively and paired t statistic test. The results
household. showed that there was a change in consumption during the
pandemic. The significant changes were an increase in the amount
of rice consumption, an increase in food expense, and a decrease
in the purchase of cooked meal. Snack purchases during the
pandemic increased but not significantly. The Armenia case used
secondary data from FAO. Regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, as
well as the post-war crisis in the Republic of Armenia, it has had a
negative impact on transportation, storage, sales, financial
situation, access, and availability of agricultural products and
labor markets. Thus, digital solutions for agricultural marketing,
that is Digital Agriculture Marketplace Platform have been adopted.
The conclusion was that the impact of the pandemic actually
increased consumption needs. The recommendation that given was
the support for food logistics transportation which very much
needed in the pandemic era and more specifically supported by
food distribution security.
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INTRODUCTION
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on various aspects of life.
Starting with health problems, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a double effect on
the economic, business, transportation and logistics, and tourism sectors. At the
household micro scale, the pandemic has had an impact on the degression in
people's purchasing power and changes in the behavior and mobility of family
members. More specifically, the pandemic has impacted on food demand (Cranfield,
2020). In anticipation of this extraneous event, the government had also set a
strategy for the agricultural sector to ensure the availability of staple foods (Rusdiana
& Talib, 2020). However, during the pandemic, food prices also tended to be unstable
(Saliem, Agustian, & Perdana, 2020), of course this had an impact on food expense
and food consumption patterns.
Another factor was that the COVID-19 pandemic had also greatly impacted the
economy. Various layoffs (PHK) have been occurred. This economic situation had an
impact on the household economy, especially those who were directly affected by the
stuck activities of Small and Medium Enterprises (UKM) and layoffs. The household
economy that affected by the pandemic will have an impact on expense, including
food consumption purchase (Sina, 2020). In aggregate, the COVID-19 pandemic will
affect market demand for food products (Cranfield, 2020). In fact, food expense was
one of the indicators of food security (Ilham & Sinaga, Bonar M.Zhu, 2007).
The pandemic had an impact on the changes in consumption patterns
(Chenarides, Grebitus, Lusk, & Printezis, 2021; Eftimov, Popovski, Petković, Seljak,
& Kocev, 2020; Hirvonen, De Brauw, & Abate, 2020). Although the results of other
studies showed that during the pandemic there was no change in drinking habits
such as coffee, tea and water (Husain & Ashkanani, 2020). The basic reason for
changing consumption patterns was the issue and belief in food safety (Chenarides
et al., 2021; Olaimat, Shahbaz, Fatima, Munir, & Holley, 2020). People were also
trying to adopt a healthy lifestyle during the COVID-19 pandemic, including by
consuming healthy foods (Reyes-Olavarría et al., 2020). For example, research result
showed that consumer preferences were shifting from the main choice of meat and
bakery to fruit and vegetables for healthier reasons (Celik & Dane, 2020). In addition,
another consideration was trust in cooking procedures that ensure food safety
(Olaimat et al., 2020).
In accordance with changes in consumption patterns, people have also
responded to the pandemic by changing household expense patterns, which were
increasing in certain needs and decreasing in other needs (Baker, Farrokhnia, Meyer,
Pagel, & Yannelis, 2020). The health expense of the Indonesian during the pandemic
had increased and more had to be borne by the people themselves (Yusa, 2021).
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As a result of more family members staying at home, it has increased the stock
of food needs and the amount of shopping with the intention to meet the adequacy
of the family members nutritional intake (Amicarelli & Bux, 2021). Similarly, the
implementation of Large-Scale Social Restrictions in several regions potentially to
cause the delay in food supply chain, especially in areas that have transportation
barriers (Masniadi, Angkasa, Karmeli, & Esabella, 2020).
Various previous studies have examined the impact of the COVID-10 pandemic
on consumption patterns and changes in household needs. However, in Indonesia
there was no important information about changes in food consumption expense at
the household scale. That information was important in providing information about
household survival during the COVID-19 pandemic. A more difficult situation
occurred in Armenia, in which during the COVID-19 pandemic was along with the
war situation. The impact of the pandemic as well as the unfavorable security
situation will certainly have an impact on household survival in food consumption.
The innovation of this research was to examine changes in household-scale food
expense during the COVID-19 pandemic situation in a relatively conducive security
situation in Indonesia, compared to the changes in the same thing in the war
situation in Armenia. The aims of the research were: 1) to find out the household
description of Indonesian consumers, 2) to analyze the changes in consumption
during the pandemic in Indonesia, 3) to analyze the changes in consumption during
the pandemic in Armenia.
RESEARCH METHODS
In the case study in Indonesia, primary data was taken in April-May 2020
during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic in Indonesia. The consumption data
that measured including food, which was rice, the total value of household food
expense, the value of cooked meal expense, and the value of snacks expense (snacks).
All data were calculated for one week (seven days).
The research sample was households in the families of UMM students that
spread in various cities in Indonesia. At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the
majority of students returned to their hometowns because the learning process was
performed online. The student sample was UMM Department of Agribusiness’
students, but the household sample as the subject of the research was spread in
various cities, including some outside Java. The city that spreading was also useful
for collecting information on food availability in each location. Each sample was given
a questionnaire about changes in consumption before and during the pandemic. The
total number of samples that met the completeness of the questionnaire contents in
the case study in Indonesia were 76 households.
The data measurement using a ratio scale, and some qualitative data in the
form of an open questionnaire. Data were analyzed descriptively and statistically,
which was paired t-test. The hypotheses that examined were: 1) the amount of rice
consumption during the pandemic was different from before the pandemic 2) the
amount of food expense during the pandemic was different from before the pandemic,
3) the amount of cooked meal expense during the pandemic was different from before
the pandemic, 4) the amount of snacks expense during the pandemic different from
before the pandemic.
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The paired t-test procedure followed the formula from Field & Miles (2010). The
completion of the analysis was using statistical computing software. The criteria for
the significance of the test used the limit of significance value < 0.05.
In the case study in Armenia, the changes in consumption during the pandemic
were analyzed descriptively with a qualitative approach. Secondary data on food
production, consumption and food prices were obtained secondary data from the
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
As a result of the secondary research of “Regional food market situation and
policy bulletin” conducted by FAO Regional Policy Brief on the Impact of the COVID-
19 Pandemic (Ros-Biznes-Consulting, 2020), the responses of the COVID-19
pandemic in the agri-food markets, value chains and policy were discussed. The
information was gathered through ongoing surveys and monitoring in the region.
Comparative data collection was conducted since 2019.
Table 2 presented the geographic spread of respondents, which was the origin
area of UMM students’ family. The spread of respondents’ origin area was mostly in
East Java, reached to 60.5%. However, respondents that came from outsite Java was
also quite a lot (26.3%).
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7 6.28
6
5 4.49
4
Before (Kg)
2.74
3
1.96 Pandemic (Kg)
2
1
0
Household Percapita
Chart 1. Rice consumption per week before and during Covid-19 pandemic
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350
308
300
250 226
200
Before (Rp000)
150
88 Pandemic (Rp000)
100 84
67 65 68
48
50
0
Total Rice Cooked Snack
Purchase meal
If detailed, it can be seen in chart 2 that the expense value had increase and
some had decrease. Rice expense increased from Rp 48,000 to Rp 67,000, consistent
with the increase in consumption volume (chart 1). Snack expense had increased
during the pandemic, from IDR 68,000 to IDR 88,000 during the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the value of cooked meal expense had decreased from Rp. 84,000 to Rp.
65,000.
The hypothesis test compared the average household consumption during the
COVID-19 pandemic with before the pandemic. The variables compared were the
value of food consumption expense, the volume of rice consumption, the value of
cooked meal expense, and the value of snacks expense. All variables were measured
from respondents’ household consumption for one week (seven days). The results of
statistical tests were presented in Table 3.
Table 3. Paired t-test result of household consumption before and during
COVID-19 pandemic
Indicator Before During % t- Sig.
pandemic Pandemic increase value (2-tails)
Purchase of total 369,473.7 455,368.4 +23% 2.882 .005
food (Rp/week)
Rice consumption 7.6 9.9 +30% 4.518 .000
(Kg/week)
Purchase of cooked 115,894.7 83,289.5 -28% - .003
meal (Rp/week) 3.052
Purchase of snack 93,947.4 113,421.1 +21% 1.388 .169
(Rp/week)
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Table 3 showed the test analysis results was difference between the average
food consumption expense before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The four
indicators showed an increase in the average number during the pandemic, except
for the expense on cooked food or cooked meal which has decreased. The highest
percentage increase in consumption was in the volume of rice consumption per week,
which increased by 30%. This increase in consumption was due to the fact that at
the beginning of the pandemic, more families stayed at home due to limiting going
out of the house, so household food consumption increased. The same explanation
was also for the increase in total food expense (increase 23%).
A 28% decrease in expense occurred in the purchase of cooked meal. At the
beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers tended to limit themselves from
consuming food processed in stalls or restaurants. The reason was that there was a
kind of distrust when food was processed by other parties, due to fear of exposure to
the COVID-19 virus. Therefore, the decrease in consumption expense occurred in
this expense category.
Statistical test with paired t-test obtained significant results on changes in the
average expense on self-processed foodstuffs and the volume of rice consumption.
The total consumption of self-processed foodstuffs increased during the pandemic
compared to before the pandemic (sig. = 0.005). The volume of rice consumption was
also increased compared to before the pandemic (sig.<0.001).
The increase in the amount of rice consumption and the value of total food
expense in the respondent's household was different from the results of previous
research that in aggregate, the COVID-19 pandemic reduced market demand for food
products (Cranfield, 2020). This can happen because the majority of sample
households were groups that not directly affected by COVID-19. They were a group
of people who were still economically surviving in a pandemic situation, for example,
it can be seen from the indicator of the ability to pay for school children in college.
The record that the respondents were parents of UMM students. The respondents of
this research were not the household economic group that affected by the pandemic,
which experienced a decrease in food consumption expense (Sina, 2020). This can
be a note of research weakness, that research on the same topic in the future needs
to involve a wider sample of the economy down to the lowest tier.
The statistical test was also significant on cooked meal expense, but with a
decrease in the amount of expense during the pandemic (sig.=0.003). Increased
expense on snacks (snacks) by an average of 21% but the statistical test was not
significant. This was because although the average snack consumption expense
increases, many families with limited income experience a decrease in consumption
expense on this category, or even did not buy at all. Families who continue to buy
snacks were those who have sufficient purchasing power or there were still (small)
children in their family.
The decline in consumption of cooked meal can be explained because
consumers were careful in buying food. This supported (Chenarides et al., 2021;
Olaimat et al., 2020) that the cause of changes in consumption patterns was the
issue and belief in food safety. People were also motivated to prepare more food at
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home because they wanted to consume healthy food, as stated by (Celik & Dane,
2020; Reyes-Olavarría et al., 2020) The results of this research also supported
(Chenarides et al., 2021) which found that consumers reduce their consumption of
fast food but at the same time increase the intensity of 'snacking' when they were
mostly at home due to social distancing. This snacking phenomenon resulted in an
increase in consumption of snacks (Graph 2), although when tested statistically it
was not significant (Table 3).
The majority of food stocks in respondent households were for one week's
needs. Before pandemic, food stocks were generally on durable foodstuffs, such as
rice, cooking oil, frozen food, and eggs. But during the pandemic, they also stored
fresh food (vegetables, fruit, chicken). It turned out that the pandemic has changed
spending patterns by preparing food stocks, on average for one week's needs.
Although there were few respondents who were very psychologically worried, they
kept food stocks for one month. The results regarding food were the same as the
discovery of (Amicarelli & Bux, 2021) that the pandemic increased the stock of food
needs and the amount of shopping to ensure an adequate nutritional intake for
family members.
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CONCLUSION
The conclusion was the impact of the pandemic actually increased the need for
household food consumption and expense, both in Indonesia and in Armenia. The
availability and distribution of food stuffs still meet the needs of the community.
Even though there was an increase in the price of some foodstuffs, the purchasing
power of households was still affordable.
RECOMMENDATION
The recommendation was that food logistics transportation support was very
much needed in the pandemic era and more specifically supported by food
distribution security. Due to the situation of food shopping which was constrained
by social distancing, digital solutions for food marketing with the "Digital Agriculture
Marketplace" platform were important to implement. The future research needs to
examine the same variables when the pandemic has been going on for a long time,
and needs to involve samples from the lower class of the economy.
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