Calories Concept:

This definition of poverty  focuses on calorie intake instead of expenditure on  food items and therefore is based on nutritional requirements of human beings. Once there is an agreement on the acceptable calorie intake, the measure allows for comparisons across time and  space. This concept  is based  on  the premise  that every individual must satisfy certain basic nutritional requirements for survival. A basket of goods is selected  in  such a way  as to maximize one's nutrient  intake at the  lowest possible cost. The market cost of the selected basket is then derived and the monetary value of purchasing the selected basket of basic food is calculated. Households unable to meet the cost of obtaining the basket of food items are categorized  as critically poor, or indigent, underprivileged and  deprived. The market  cost of the  basic food basket represents the  lower limit of poverty and  is the critical poverty line. 'This  method, like  the  per  capita  food  consumption  concept mentioned above, ignores non-food requirements of households.