ABSTRACT
This chapter aims: to examine briefly the history of food in poverty measurement; to review the role of food and nutrition in poverty analysis; and to provide pointers to contemporary research and policy responses. The poverty line was used to separate people identified as poor into those who had insufficient income to purchase basic survival necessities, and those whose income was sufficient to buy basic necessities but who were unable so to do for other reasons. The locational element has become increasingly important in the UK: one consequence of the increasing polarisation of income and deprivation in the UK is the effect on food retailing. Food is an expression of who a person is, what they are worth, and of their ability to provide for basic needs. It is a focus for social exchange and also a major contribution to basic survival and long-term health.
