Direct and Indirect Effects of Malawi’s Public Works Program on Food Security

Labor-intensive public works programs are important social protection tools in low-income settings, intended to supplement income of poor households and improve public infrastructure. In this evaluation of the Malawi Social Action Fund, an at-scale...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors:	Beegle, Kathleen, Galasso, Emanuela, Goldberg, Jessica
Format:	Working Paper
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2015
Subjects:	PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION HOUSEHOLD SIZE HOUSEHOLD SURVEY HONEY SORGHUM FOOD CONSUMPTION BREAD INCOME MILK POVERTY ESTIMATES POVERTY RATES EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES LOWER VALUES REGIONAL LEVEL CONSUMPTION DATA LUMP-SUM FOOD POLICY FAMILY MEMBERS PASTA POORER HOUSEHOLDS FOOD CONSUMPTION DATA SOCIAL PROGRAMS NATIONAL LEVEL CAPITA CONSUMPTION CALORIC INTAKE MEASURES SAFETY NETS REGION FERTILIZER PURCHASES HOUSEHOLD- LEVEL MAIZE STANDARD DEVIATION CASH TRANSFER SCHEME TRANSFER SCHEME SAVINGS CEREALS CROWDING OUT DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS DATES GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS POLITICAL CONSTRAINTS TRANSFERS STANDARD ERRORS POOR AREAS FRUITS DIETARY DIVERSITY VEGETABLES NUTS SMALL NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS REGIONAL BREAKDOWN FOOD EXPENDITURES SOCIAL PROTECTION PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMS PRICE SUBSIDIES RISK SHARING GRAINS CASH TRANSFERS PLANTING TIME HOUSEHOLD HEADS REGIONAL VARIATION MARKET PRICE CASH-FOR-WORK HOUSEHOLD LEVEL CONSUMPTION SOCIAL SAFETY NETS EMPLOYMENT GUARANTEE SCHEME DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH GROUP FOOD SECURITY SPICES CASH TRANSFER PROGRAM FATS INCOME SHOCKS FOOD ASSISTANCE TUBERS DELTA METHOD GEOGRAPHIC REGION SAFETY NET FOOD EXPENDITURE AGRICULTURE GEORGIA PLANTING SEASON CASH CROP FERTILIZER APPLICATION RURAL FERTILIZER USE NUTRITION WFP TRANSACTION COSTS REGIONAL TARGETING EGGS PUBLIC WORKS HOUSEHOLD BUDGET HIGHER INCIDENCE OF POVERTY RURAL EMPLOYMENT FOOD TRANSFER PROGRAMS CONDIMENTS AGRICULTURAL INPUTS SUGAR PRODUCTS FOOD INSECURITY TARGETING REGIONAL FOOD CONSUMPTION SMOOTHING COPING STRATEGY NUTRITION PROGRAMS IRRIGATION PROJECTS REGIONS AGRICULTURAL SEASON VILLAGE LEVEL SUGARS IRRIGATION LACK OF KNOWLEDGE HOUSEHOLDS DAILY WAGE POVERTY MEAT INCIDENCE OF POVERTY HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION MEAL FOOD AVAILABILITY AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY POOR FOODS PULSES NEGATIVE EXTERNALITIES CENTRAL REGION LOW WAGES CENTRAL REGIONS INEQUALITY SUGAR HOUSEHOLD-LEVEL POOR HOUSEHOLDS
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2015/12/25513895/direct-indirect-effects-malawi’s-public-works-program-food-security http://hdl.handle.net/10986/23466

Description
Summary:	Labor-intensive public works programs are important social protection tools in low-income settings, intended to supplement income of poor households and improve public infrastructure. In this evaluation of the Malawi Social Action Fund, an at-scale, government-operated program, across- and within-village randomization is used to estimate effects on food security and use of fertilizer. There is no evidence that the program improves food security, and some negative spillovers to untreated households. These disappointing results hold even under modifications to the design of the program to offer work during the lean rather than harvest season or increase the frequency of payments.

Direct and Indirect Effects of Malawi’s Public Works Program on Food Security

Similar Items