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. 2016 Dec:11:72-83.
doi: 10.1016/j.gfs.2016.07.009. Epub 2016 Sep 15.

Impact of Cash Transfer programs on Food Security and Nutrition in sub-Saharan Africa: A Cross-Country Analysis

Smriti Tiwari  1 , Silvio Daidone  2 , Maria Angelita Ruvalcaba  2 , Ervin Prifti  2 , Sudhanshu Handa  3 , Benjamin Davis  2 , Ousmane Niang  4 , Luca Pellerano  5 , Paul Quarles Van Ufford  6 , David Seidenfeld  7
Affiliations

Impact of Cash Transfer programs on Food Security and Nutrition in sub-Saharan Africa: A Cross-Country Analysis

Smriti Tiwari et al. Glob Food Sec. 2016 Dec.

Abstract

This paper explores the extent to which government-run cash transfer programs in four sub-Saharan countries affect food security and nutritional outcomes. These programs include Ghana's Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty, Kenya's Cash Transfer for Orphans and Vulnerable Children, Lesotho's Child Grants Program and Zambia's Child Grant model of the Social Cash Transfer program. Our cross-country analysis highlights the importance of robust program design and implementation to achieve the intended results. We find that a relatively generous and regular and predictable transfer increases the quantity and quality of food and reduces the prevalence of food insecurity. On the other hand, a smaller, lumpy and irregular transfer does not lead to impacts on food expenditures. We complement binary treatment analysis with continuous treatment analysis to understand not only the impact of being in the program but also the variability in impacts by the extent of treatment.

Keywords: Africa; Cash Transfers; Food Security; Nutrition.

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Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:
Dose-Response Function for Per Capita Food Expenditure by Country
Figure 2:
Figure 2:
Dose-Response Function for Share of Food Expenditure by Country
Figure 3:
Figure 3:
Dose-Response Function for Daily Per Capita Caloric Intake by country
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. American Institutes for Research, 2011. Zambia’s Child Grant Program: Baseline Report. Washington DC: Author.
    1. American Institutes for Research, 2013a. 24-Month Impact Report for the Child Grant Programme. Washington DC: Author.
    1. American Institutes for Research, 2013b. 24-Month Impact Report for the Child Grant Programme. Washington DC: Author.
    1. Angrist JD, Pischke J-S, 2009. Mostly Harmless Econometrics: An Empiricist’s Companion. Princeton University Press.
    1. Anríquez G, Karfakis P, Daidone S, Mane E, 2010. Mesasuring dietary energy deficiency and the impact of food price variations at the household level ESA Working Paper No. 10–02.

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