“The Cost of Decent Subsistence in Perspective”, 1994 ():
The cost of decent subsistence (CDS), as defined over a decade ago, is the minimal food cost of a palatable and nutritious diet.
It is here computed by quadratic programming and solved at a food budget level where the marginal utility with respect to calories is zero.
A review of 17 separate estimates of the CDS reveals that it is a remarkably consistent and practical guideline for socioeconomic policies concerning food budget expenditures.
By historically evaluating the CDS and comparing the different application scenarios and procedures over time, interesting questions are posed concerning the present allocation of funds in the food stamp program and other publicly supported mass feeding systems.