Impact of Zambia’s farmer input support program E-voucher system on smallholder farmers’ food security

Farm input subsidy programs (FISP) are a common policy tool to cushion food insecurity in many sub-Saharan African countries. This study sought to evaluate effects of Zambia’s FISP e-voucher system on food security for smallholder households in terms of months of adequate household food provisions and dietary diversity, using propensity score matching and difference-in-differences techniques. Although the program’s objective is to improve food security, actual results show no statistically significant changes in food adequacy. Households headed by females have higher food inadequacy, hence the need to establish gender sensitive policies. In addition, this study indicates education, land size and cattle ownership as significant drivers to improve food adequacy and dietary diversity. Out of the factors identified, larger land areas and cattle ownership significantly reduced food inadequacy, with cattle ownership associated with a 33.3% higher likelihood of food adequacy. This emphasises the need to mainstream livestock into farming practices. The Household Dietary Diversity Score showed a negative and statistically significant treatment effect (β = −0.444, p