Measuring the Affordability of Key Food and Energy Commodities in Pakistan: An Application of Simon Abundance Framework

Résumé

 This study applies the Simon Abundance Framework (SAF) to assess
food and energy resource affordability in Pakistan from 2007 to
2021. Developed by Tupy and Pooley (2022), the SAF uses the
concept of time price, which shows the number of working hours
required to purchase a good or service. It serves as an alternative
measure of resource affordability, incorporating both prices and the
efforts required by labour. By evaluating changes in time prices
across 22 essential food and energy items for male and female
workers of low and high-skilled categories, the study finds a broadbased improvement in affordability of these items in terms of time
price. The findings support the argument made by Julian Simon that
human efforts to innovate and find new alternatives can counteract
resource scarcity despite population pressure.