Revisiting the 'Cash versus Food' Debate : New Evidence for an Old Puzzle?

Ugo, Gentilini

Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the World Bank

关键词: FOOD SECURITY;    CASH TRANSFERS;    SAFETY NET;    SOCIAL PROTECTION;    POLITICAL ECONOMY;   

DOI  :  10.1093/wbro/lkv012

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

The longstanding “cash versus food” debate has received renewed attention in both research and practice. This paper reviews key issues shaping the debate and presents new evidence from randomized and quasi-experimental evaluations that deliberately compare cash and in-kind food transfers in ten developing counties. Findings show that relative effectiveness cannot be generalized: although some differences emerge in terms of food consumption and dietary diversity, average impacts tend to depend on context, specific objectives, their measurement, and program design. Costs for cash transfers and vouchers tend to be significantly lower relative to in-kind food. Yet the consistency and robustness of methods for efficiency analyses varies greatly.