Martin Ravallion?s ?One Pager? No. 66 focuses on two key issues: the level of the World Bank?s international poverty line (IPL) and its conversion to other currencies and years. Having written on conversion before (?One Pager? No. 54), I can be brief. The purchasing power parities the Bank uses...

In 1961, the United States Department of Agriculture published an Economy Food Plan carefully designed ?as a nutritionally adequate diet for short-term or emergency use? for poor people. This diet was updated and later re-branded as the Thrifty Food Plan. The lowest cost stated for this minimal...