Giffen goods are probably staple foods for consumers who are so poor that almost all income is spent on food. If potatoes are by far the cheapest food and our consumer is so poor she must spend almost all her money on potatoes to survive then a drop in the price of potatoes will make her much better off, possibly allowing her to add variety to her diet and reduce potato consumption. An increase in the price makes her worse off and she must give up other foods and buy more potatoes.

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