Strategic Consulting
Civil Conflicts and Household Food Expenditure Patterns
Connecting food environments, fiscal tools, and nutrition policy into one credible investment roadmap.
Strategy Grounded in Evidence. Advisory that connects health, food systems, and household welfare into actionable policy and program design.
Urban food environments were shifting faster than national dietary guidelines could respond. The task was to connect retail scanner trends, street-food vendor ethnography, and fiscal instruments into one credible roadmap.
Civil conflicts disrupt household livelihoods and food systems, reshaping expenditure patterns and consumption choices. In Ghana and neighboring regions, conflict exposure reduces household income and forces shifts toward cheaper staples. This study investigates how conflict influences household food expenditure patterns, situating conflict as a driver of nutritional vulnerability. The broader challenge is that conflict impacts are long-lasting, reducing dietary diversity and undermining resilience. Households exposed to violence often face displacement, loss of assets, and reduced access to markets. This research highlights the need for conflict-sensitive food policies and humanitarian interventions.
Civil conflict reshapes household food expenditure, making nutrition-sensitive interventions critical for resilience and recovery.
Martey, E., et al
2025
Background
Advancing through the data
Civil conflicts disrupt household livelihoods and food systems, reshaping expenditure patterns and consumption choices. In Ghana and neighboring regions, conflict exposure reduces household income and forces shifts toward cheaper staples. This study investigates how conflict influences household food expenditure patterns, situating conflict as a driver of nutritional vulnerability. The broader challenge is that conflict impacts are long-lasting, reducing dietary diversity and undermining resilience. Households exposed to violence often face displacement, loss of assets, and reduced access to markets. This research highlights the need for conflict-sensitive food policies and humanitarian interventions.
Research Approach
Conflict incidence data was combined with household expenditure surveys to assess shifts in food consumption and spending. Econometric models measured the impact of conflict exposure on expenditure patterns, controlling for income and demographics. Qualitative interviews captured household coping strategies, including reliance on cheaper staples and reduced dietary diversity. Comparative analysis was conducted between conflict-affected and non-affected households. This dual approach ensured findings were both statistically rigorous and contextually grounded.
Key findings from this study include:
- Conflict exposure reduced household food expenditure by up to 30%.
- Households shifted spending toward cheaper staples.
- Long-term effects included reduced dietary diversity.
Implications
A strategic lens for organizations and policymakers
Conflict-sensitive policies are needed to protect food systems.
Organizations can design humanitarian interventions targeting nutrition.
Businesses must adapt supply chains in conflict-prone areas.
For organizations, this research guides humanitarian programming. For policymakers, it provides evidence for conflict-sensitive food policies. For businesses, it highlights risks and adaptation strategies for operating in fragile contexts.
Civil conflict reshapes household food expenditure, making nutrition-sensitive interventions critical for resilience and recovery.
Martey, E., et al, 2025
