Social protection: Adaptive safety nets for crisis recovery

Over the past two decades, social protection programs have become a mainstream policy tool to address chronic poverty and food insecurity in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Social safety net programs are one of the most common forms of social protection (Box 1). In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, the number of social safety net programs has more than tripled since the early 2000s, and today each country in the region operates at least one such program. Evidence is mounting that social safety net programs and social protection more broadly can improve food security, reduce chronic poverty, and build household wealth (assets). Moreover, social safety net programs can improve nutritional outcomes, protect aspirations (people’s ability to visualize and engage in forward-looking activities) during natural disasters, and increase resilience in the face of climate change. Social safety net programs may even prevent local conflicts, increase trust in local governments, and stimulate economic growth by encouraging savings, addressing credit market imperfections, and creating communal assets. Finally, cash transfers, one form of safety net, have been found to improve women’s empowerment and even reduce the risk of intimate partner violence, particularly when coupled with complementary activities.