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The Impact of Food for Education Programs on School Participation in Northern Uganda

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  • Harold Alderman
  • Daniel O. Gilligan
  • Kim Lehrer

Abstract

There is a general consensus that food for education (FFE) programs increase primary school participation. Although this view is widely held, there is limited causal evidence to support it. Moreover, little is known about how the design of FFE programs affects schooling outcomes. This article presents evidence of the impacts of alternative methods of FFE delivery on schooling in Northern Uganda using a randomized controlled evaluation conducted from 2005 to 2007. We compare the impacts of the World Food Program's in-school feeding program (SFP) with an experimental take-home rations (THR) program conditional on school attendance. Results show that the in-school meals program increased enrollment for those children who were not enrolled at baseline but who had reached the recommended age of school entry. For many outcomes we cannot reject that the THR impact is equivalent to that of the SFP. Both programs had large impacts on school attendance and reduced grade repetition. The SFP program also reduced girls' age at entry to primary school. Neither program affected progression to secondary school, but children in grade 6 in SFP schools at baseline were significantly more likely to remain in primary school and repeat a grade than drop out. Program benefits may be improved by offering school meals in secondary schools as well, so that the attraction of school meals is at least neutral with respect to grade progression.

Suggested Citation

  • Harold Alderman & Daniel O. Gilligan & Kim Lehrer, 2012. "The Impact of Food for Education Programs on School Participation in Northern Uganda," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 61(1), pages 187-218.
    • Handle: RePEc:ucp:ecdecc:doi:10.1086/666949
    DOI: 10.1086/666949
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Roxana Elena Manea, 2021. "School Feeding Programmes, Education and Food Security in Rural Malawi," CIES Research Paper series 63-2020, Centre for International Environmental Studies, The Graduate Institute.
    2. Haile, Kaleab & Tirivayi, Nyasha & Nillesen, Eleonora, 2019. "Climate shocks, coping responses and gender gap in human development," MERIT Working Papers 2019-052, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    3. Amy Margolies & John Hoddinott, 2012. "Mapping the Impacts of Food Aid: Current Knowledge and Future Directions," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2012-034, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    4. Barr, Abigail & Bategeka, Lawrence & Guloba, Madina & Kasirye, Ibrahim & Mugisha, Frederick & Serneels, Pieter & Zeitlin, Andrew, 2012. "Management and motivation in Ugandan primary schools: an impact evaluation report," PEP Working Papers 164412, Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP).
    5. Amolegbe, Khadijat B., 2020. "Hungry birds do not sing: Coronavirus and the school feeding program," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    6. Robert D. Osei & Monica P. Lambon-Quayefio, 2022. "Effects of Long-Term Malnutrition on Education Outcomes in Ghana: Evidence from a Panel Study," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(1), pages 1-21, February.
    7. Caitlin Wall & Terezie Tolar-Peterson & Nicole Reeder & Marina Roberts & Abby Reynolds & Gina Rico Mendez, 2022. "The Impact of School Meal Programs on Educational Outcomes in African Schoolchildren: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-13, March.
    8. Rohini Somanathan & Bidisha Barooah & Farzana Afridi, 2016. "The Mixture as Before? Student Responses to the Changing Content of School Meals in India," Working Papers id:10874, eSocialSciences.
    9. Francesca Galli & Gianluca Brunori & Francesco Di Iacovo & Silvia Innocenti, 2014. "Co-Producing Sustainability: Involving Parents and Civil Society in the Governance of School Meal Services. A Case Study from Pisa, Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(4), pages 1-24, March.
    10. Tsai, Alexander C. & Venkataramani, Atheendar S., 2015. "The causal effect of education on HIV stigma in Uganda: Evidence from a natural experiment," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 37-46.
    11. Farzana Afridi & Bidisha Barooah & Rohini Somanathan, 2016. "Student Responses to the Changing Content of School Meals in India," Working Papers id:11427, eSocialSciences.
    12. Hoddinott, John & Margolies, Amy, 2012. "Mapping the Impacts of Food Aid: Current Knowledge and Future Directions," WIDER Working Paper Series 034, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    13. repec:unu:wpaper:wp2012-34 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Sofía Collante Zárate & Catherine Rodríguez & Fabio Sanchez, 2022. "El poder de un refrigerio. La alimentación escolar y sus efectos educativos en Colombia," Documentos CEDE 20223, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    15. Elisabetta Aurino & Sara Giunti, 2022. "Social Protection for Child Development in Crisis: A Review of Evidence and Knowledge Gaps [School Feeding Reduces Anemia Prevalence in Adolescent Girls and Other Vulnerable Household Members in a ," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 37(2), pages 229-263.
    16. Roxana Elena Manea, 2020. "School Feeding Programmes, Education and Food Security in Rural Malawi," CIES Research Paper series 63-2020, Centre for International Environmental Studies, The Graduate Institute.
    17. Abay, Kibrom A. & Amare, Mulubrhan & Tiberti, Luca & Andam, Kwaw S. & Wang, Michael, 2022. "COVID-19-induced disruptions of school feeding services exacerbate food insecurity in Nigeria," IFPRI book chapters, in: COVID-19 and global food security: Two years later, chapter 23, pages 135-137, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    18. Crea, Thomas M. & Neville, Sarah E. & Diaz-Valdes, Antonia & Evans, Kerri & Urizar, Brenda & Drummer, Emily & Acevedo, Jose & Canelas, Olga & Medina, Marlon & Mallman, Jennifer, 2021. "The McGovern-Dole food for education and Child nutrition program (MGD): A comparative analysis of reading comprehension gains in Central America," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 21(C).
    19. Bennell, Paul, 2023. "The attainment of gender education equality: A preliminary assessment of country performance in sub-Saharan Africa," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    20. Lawson, Ty M., 2012. "Impact of School Feeding Programs on Educational, Nutritional, and Agricultural Development Goals: A Systematic Review of Literature," Graduate Research Master's Degree Plan B Papers 142466, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    21. Nabiddo, Winnie & Yawe, Bruno L. & Wasswa, Francis, 2022. "School Governance and Primary Education Learning Outcomes in Uganda," African Journal of Economic Review, African Journal of Economic Review, vol. 10(4), September.
    22. Kaur, Randeep, 2021. "Estimating the impact of school feeding programs: Evidence from mid day meal scheme of India," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    23. Independent Evaluation Group, 2014. "Social Safety Nets and Gender : Learning from Impact Evaluations and World Bank Projects," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 21365, December.
    24. Qihui Chen & Chunchen Pei & Yunli Bai & Qiran Zhao, 2019. "Impacts of Nutrition Subsidies on Diet Diversity and Nutritional Outcomes of Primary School Students in Rural Northwestern China—Do Policy Targets and Incentives Matter?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-14, August.

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