IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/povpop/v12y2020i1p84-111.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Looking Beyond Cash Transfers for Optimizing Poverty Reduction and Livelihood Sustainability in Rural Ghana: Comparative Analysis of Two Social Policy Interventions Against Poverty

Author

Listed:
  • Prince Osei‐Wusu Adjei
  • Joyce Osei Adjei
  • Richard Serbeh

Abstract

In this article, we argue that, if the poverty reduction inroads recorded from the declaration of the Millennium Development Goals could be optimized and sustained particularly in rural areas experiencing higher incidence of poverty and livelihood vulnerabilities, policymakers and development practitioners ought to look beyond cash transfer measures to embrace skills and technology transfer policies and programs. This approach has a greater tendency of creating appropriate context for the empowerment and enhancement of the production capacities of the poor in ways that guarantee their independence to engage in self‐help initiatives and resilient local livelihoods. This conclusion is drawn from comparative study outcomes of two Government of Ghana social policies for poverty reduction, namely—the Livelihood Empowerment against Poverty and the Rural Enterprise Program. 本文中我们主张, 如果千年发展目标(MDGs)宣言中记录的减贫进展能被优化并持续下去, 尤其是在贫困程度、生计脆弱性更高的乡村社区, 那么政策制定者和发展从业人员应长远看待用于拥护技能与技术转移政策及相关计划的现金转移支付手段。该措施更可能以保障贫困人口独立参与自助倡议、保障具备弹性的地方生计等方式, 为贫困人群生产能力的赋权及提升创造适宜环境。通过对加纳政府用于减贫的两个社会政策进行比较研究, 即对抗贫困的生计赋权(LEAP)和农村企业计划(REP), 得出了上述结论。 En este documento argumentamos que, si las incursiones de reducción de la pobreza registradas en la declaración de los Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio (ODM) pudieran optimizarse y sostenerse particularmente en las áreas rurales que experimentan una mayor incidencia de pobreza y vulnerabilidades de los medios de vida, los responsables políticos y los profesionales del desarrollo deberían considerar más allá de las medidas de transferencia de efectivo para adoptar habilidades y políticas y programas de transferencia de tecnología. Este enfoque tiene una mayor tendencia a crear un contexto apropiado para el empoderamiento y la mejora de las capacidades de producción de los pobres de manera que garanticen su independencia para participar en iniciativas de autoayuda y medios de vida locales resilientes. Esta conclusión se extrae de los resultados del estudio comparativo de dos políticas sociales del Gobierno de Ghana para la reducción de la pobreza, a saber: el Empoderamiento de los medios de vida contra la pobreza (LEAP) y el Programa de empresas rurales (REP).

Suggested Citation

  • Prince Osei‐Wusu Adjei & Joyce Osei Adjei & Richard Serbeh, 2020. "Looking Beyond Cash Transfers for Optimizing Poverty Reduction and Livelihood Sustainability in Rural Ghana: Comparative Analysis of Two Social Policy Interventions Against Poverty," Poverty & Public Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 12(1), pages 84-111, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:povpop:v:12:y:2020:i:1:p:84-111
    DOI: 10.1002/pop4.270
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/pop4.270
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/pop4.270?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Karen Macours & Patrick Premand & Renos Vakis, 2022. "Transfers, Diversification and Household Risk Strategies: Can Productive Safety Nets Help Households Manage Climatic Variability?," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 132(647), pages 2438-2470.
    2. Ramlatu Attah & Valentina Barca & Andrew Kardan & Ian MacAuslan & Fred Merttens & Luca Pellerano, 2016. "Can Social Protection Affect Psychosocial Wellbeing and Why Does This Matter? Lessons from Cash Transfers in Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 52(8), pages 1115-1131, August.
    3. Gertler, Paul J. & Patrinos, Harry Anthony & Rubio-Codina, Marta, 2012. "Empowering parents to improve education: Evidence from rural Mexico," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(1), pages 68-79.
    4. Macours, Karen & Premand, Patrick & Vakis, Renos, 2012. "Transfers, Diversification and Household Risk Strategies: Experimental evidence with lessons for climate change adaptation," CEPR Discussion Papers 8940, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    5. Manser, Marilyn & Brown, Murray, 1980. "Marriage and Household Decision-Making: A Bargaining Analysis," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 21(1), pages 31-44, February.
    6. Caterina Ruggeri Laderchi & Ruhi Saith & Frances Stewart, 2003. "Does it Matter that we do not Agree on the Definition of Poverty? A Comparison of Four Approaches," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(3), pages 243-274.
    7. Ariel Fiszbein & Norbert Schady & Francisco H.G. Ferreira & Margaret Grosh & Niall Keleher & Pedro Olinto & Emmanuel Skoufias, 2009. "Conditional Cash Transfers : Reducing Present and Future Poverty," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 2597, December.
    8. Chambers, Robert, 1994. "The origins and practice of participatory rural appraisal," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 22(7), pages 953-969, July.
    9. Abhijit V. Banerjee & Rema Hanna & Gabriel E. Kreindler & Benjamin A. Olken, 2017. "Debunking the Stereotype of the Lazy Welfare Recipient: Evidence from Cash Transfer Programs," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 32(2), pages 155-184.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ebenezer Owusu‐Addo & Andre M. N. Renzaho & Paul Sarfo‐Mensah & Yaw A. Sarpong & William Niyuni & Ben J. Smith, 2023. "Sustainability of cash transfer programs: A realist case study," Poverty & Public Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 15(2), pages 173-198, June.
    2. Folorunsho M. Ajide & James T. Dada, 2023. "Poverty, entrepreneurship, and economic growth in Africa," Poverty & Public Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 15(2), pages 199-226, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Costa, Lorena Vieira & Helfand, Steven M. & Souza, André Portela, 2018. "No impact of rural development policies?: no synergies with conditional cash transfers?: an investigation of the IFAD-Supported Gavião Project in Brazil," Textos para discussão 489, FGV EESP - Escola de Economia de São Paulo, Fundação Getulio Vargas (Brazil).
    2. Premand, Patrick & Stoeffler, Quentin, 2022. "Cash transfers, climatic shocks and resilience in the Sahel," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    3. Premand, Patrick & Stoeffler, Quentin, 2022. "Cash transfers, climatic shocks and resilience in the Sahel," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    4. Antonia Asenjo & Verónica Escudero & Hannah Liepmann, 2024. "Why Should we Integrate Income and Employment Support? A Conceptual and Empirical Investigation," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 60(1), pages 1-29, January.
    5. Dragan Filipovich & Miguel Niño-Zarazúa & Alma Santillán Hernández, 2018. "Campaign externalities, programmatic spending, and voting preferences in rural Mexico: The case of Progresa-Oportunidades-Prospera programme," WIDER Working Paper Series 027, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    6. Costa, Lorena Vieira & Helfand, Steven M. & Souza, André Portela de, 2023. "No impact of rural development policies? No synergies with CCTs? The IFAD-supported Gavião Project in Brazil," Revista de Economia e Sociologia Rural (RESR), Sociedade Brasileira de Economia e Sociologia Rural, vol. 61(4), January.
    7. Dragan Filipovich & Miguel Niño-Zarazúa & Alma Santillán Hernández, 2018. "Campaign externalities, programmatic spending, and voting preferences in rural Mexico: The case of Progresa-Oportunidades-Prospera programme," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2018-27, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    8. Macours, Karen, 2012. "Volatility, Risk and Household Poverty: Micro-evidence from Randomized Control Trials," 2012 Conference, August 18-24, 2012, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil 128293, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    9. Alejandro de la Fuente & Eduardo Ortiz-Juárez & Carlos Rodríguez-Castelán, 2018. "Living on the edge: vulnerability to poverty and public transfers in Mexico," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(1), pages 10-27, January.
    10. Molina Millán, Teresa, 2015. "Regional Migration, Insurance and Economic Shocks: Evidence from Nicaragua," IZA Discussion Papers 9494, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    11. Rema Hanna & Benjamin A. Olken, 2018. "Universal Basic Incomes vs. Targeted Transfers: Anti-Poverty Programs in Developing Countries," NBER Working Papers 24939, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    12. Maitra, Pushkar & Mani, Subha, 2017. "Learning and earning: Evidence from a randomized evaluation in India," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 116-130.
    13. Wells Thomas R., 2019. "Just End Poverty Now: The Case for a Global Minimum Income," Basic Income Studies, De Gruyter, vol. 14(2), pages 1-13, December.
    14. Kilburn, Kelly & Handa, Sudhanshu & Angeles, Gustavo & Mvula, Peter & Tsoka, Maxton, 2017. "Short-term impacts of an unconditional cash transfer program on child schooling: Experimental evidence from Malawi," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 63-80.
    15. Simone Schaner, 2018. "The Persistent Power of Behavioral Change: Long-Run Impacts of Temporary Savings Subsidies for the Poor," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 10(3), pages 67-100, July.
    16. Jinnat Ara & Dipanwita Sarkar & Jayanta Sarkar, 2021. "Like mother like daughter? Occupational mobility among children under asset transfer program in Bangladesh," QuBE Working Papers 061, QUT Business School.
    17. Gerard, François & Naritomi, Joana & Silva, Joana, 2021. "Cash Transfers and Formal Labor Markets: Evidence from Brazil," CEPR Discussion Papers 16286, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    18. Birthal, Pratap S. & Hazrana, Jaweriah, 2019. "Crop diversification and resilience of agriculture to climatic shocks: Evidence from India," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 345-354.
    19. Margherita Calderone, 2017. "Are there different spillover effects from cash transfers to men and women? Impacts on investments in education in post-war Uganda," WIDER Working Paper Series 093, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    20. Manuela A. de Paz-Báñez & María José Asensio-Coto & Celia Sánchez-López & María-Teresa Aceytuno, 2020. "Is There Empirical Evidence on How the Implementation of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) Affects Labour Supply? A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-36, November.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:povpop:v:12:y:2020:i:1:p:84-111. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://doi.org/10.1002/(ISSN)1944-2858 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.