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The effect of cash transfers and household vulnerability on food security in Zimbabwe

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  • Bhalla, Garima
  • Handa, Sudhanshu
  • Angeles, Gustavo
  • Seidenfeld, David

Abstract

We study the impact of the Zimbabwe Harmonized Social Cash Transfer (HSCT) on household food security after 12 months of implementation. We investigate determinants of food security as measured by a well-known food security scale – the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) – and as measured by value of household food consumption composed of own-production, market purchases and gifts received. We find that several dimensions of household vulnerability correlate more strongly with the food security measure than with food consumption. Labor constraints, which is a key vulnerability criterion used by the HSCT to target households, is an important predictor of the food security score but not food consumption, and its effect on food security is even larger during the lean season. Impact analysis shows that the program has had statistically significant impacts on Food Security and Diet Diversity scores but null to low impacts on food consumption. However aggregate food consumption hides dynamic activity taking place within the household where the cash is used to obtain more food from the market and rely less on food received as gifts. The cash in turn gives beneficiaries greater choice in their food basket, which improves diet diversity.

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  • Bhalla, Garima & Handa, Sudhanshu & Angeles, Gustavo & Seidenfeld, David, 2018. "The effect of cash transfers and household vulnerability on food security in Zimbabwe," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 82-99.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfpoli:v:74:y:2018:i:c:p:82-99
    DOI: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2017.11.007
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    14. Ghulam Mustafa, 2022. "Weather Shocks, Unconditional Cash Transfers and Household Food Outcomes," PIDE-Working Papers 2022:8, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics.
    15. Owusu-Addo, Ebenezer & Renzaho, Andre M.N. & Smith, Ben J., 2020. "Developing a middle-range theory to explain how cash transfers work to tackle the social determinants of health: A realist case study," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
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    17. Chakrabarti, Averi & Handa, Sudhanshu & Angeles, Gustavo & Seidenfeld, David, 2020. "A cash plus program reduces youth exposure to physical violence in Zimbabwe," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    18. M. Savy & S. Fortin & Y. Kameli & S. Renault & C. Couderc & A. Gamli & K. Amouzou & M. L. Perenze & Y. Martin-Prevel, 2020. "Impact of a food voucher program in alleviating household food insecurity in two cities in Senegal during a food price crisis," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 12(2), pages 465-478, April.
    19. Nawaz, Saima & Iqbal, Nasir, 2021. "How cash transfers program affects environmental poverty among ultra-poor? Insights from the BISP in Pakistan," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 148(PB).
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    22. Mousumi Das, 2021. "Vulnerability to Food Insecurity: A Decomposition Exercise for Rural India using the Expected Utility Approach," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 156(1), pages 167-199, July.
    23. Pace, Noemi & Sebastian, Ashwini & Daidone, Silvio & Dela O Campos, Ana Paula & Prifti, Ervin & Davis, Benjamin, 2022. "Cash transfers’ role in improving livelihood diversification strategies and well-being: short- and medium-term evidence from Zimbabwe," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Vulnerability; Food security; Food poor; Zimbabwe; Cash transfers; Social protection;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs

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