Impacts of conditional cash transfers on subsistence practices and food security in rural forested areas of Southeastern Brazil

Conditional Cash Transfers (CCTs) have become a widely used social protection approach, with well-documented impacts on child health, educational outcomes, food expenditure, and, in some contexts, diet quality. Their effects on labor allocation, however, remain debated, including indirect effects on productive activities. In remote, low-market-integrated rural contexts, reliance on natural resources is crucial. Introducing CCTs may shift the costs and benefits of subsistence activities, reshaping practices and eating habits with positive or negative consequences for food security and nutrition. However, evidence remains limited, particularly for practices beyond agriculture (hunting, fishing, and gathering). This study investigates whether CCTs from Brazil’s Bolsa Família Program are associated with: engagement in subsistence practices (hunting, gathering, livestock rearing, fishing, and agriculture); consumption patterns, distinguishing subsistence-sourced foods, quality purchased foods, and ultra-processed foods; dietary diversity; and perceived food security. We conducted face-to-face surveys with 260 households and 359 individuals (187 men; 172 women) selected through multi-stage sampling in remote areas of the Atlantic Forest in Southeast Brazil. Propensity Score Matching indicated that CCT participation increased men’s engagement in hunting and gathering, while no significant impacts were found on women’s practices. No effects were observed on fishing and livestock rearing. Beneficiary households were more likely to consume products from all subsistence practices except livestock rearing, and no effects were detected for ultra-processed foods. CCT participation was not associated with differences in perceiving food insecurity. These findings suggest that additional policies are needed to improve access to quality food and strengthen food and nutritional security in impoverished remote rural areas.