The Revival of the "Cash versus Food" Debate : New Evidence for an Old Quandary?

Gentilini, Ugo

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: CHILD HEALTH;    RATIONS;    SAFETY NET PROGRAMS;    RISKS;    HOUSEHOLD SIZE;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-7584
RP-ID  :  WPS7584

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 receivedrenewed attention in both research and practice. Thispaper reviews key issues shaping the debate and presentsnew evidence from randomized and quasi-experimentalevaluations that deliberately compare cash and in-kindfood transfers in ten developing counties. Findings showthat relative effectiveness cannot be generalized: althoughsome differences emerge in terms of food consumptionand dietary diversity, average impacts tend to depend oncontext, specific objectives, and their measurement. Costsfor cash transfers and vouchers tend to be significantlylower relative to in-kind food. Yet the consistency androbustness of methods for efficiency analyses varies greatly.