Description: Our Daily Bread : What is the Evidence on Comparing Cash versus Food Transfers?

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Our Daily Bread : What is the Evidence on Comparing Cash versus Food Transfers?

This paper reviews key issues in the 'cash versus food' debate, including as they relate to political economy, theory, evidence, and practice. In doing so, it benefited from a new generation of 12 impact evaluations deliberately comparing...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author:	Gentilini, Ugo
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank Group, Washington, DC 2014
Subjects:	ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES AGRICULTURAL INPUTS AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY ANEMIA AVAILABILITY OF FOOD BARS BENEFICIARIES BENEFICIARY BREAD CALORIC INTAKE CALORIE INTAKE CASH GRANTS CASH INTERVENTIONS CASH PAYMENTS CASH TRANSFER CASH TRANSFER PROGRAMS CASH TRANSFERS CASSAVA CEREALS CHILD MALNUTRITION CHOCOLATE CHRONIC FOOD INSECURITY CHRONIC MALNUTRITION COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT CONDIMENTS CONDITIONAL CASH CONDITIONAL TRANSFER CONSUMPTION SMOOTHING CORN COST-EFFECTIVENESS DAIRY DIET DISTRIBUTION OF BENEFITS DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM DRIED FISH EGGS EXTREME POVERTY FAMINE FAMINES FARMERS FLOUR FOOD ACCESS FOOD AID FOOD ASSISTANCE FOOD AVAILABILITY FOOD BASKET FOOD BASKETS FOOD COMMODITIES FOOD CONSUMPTION FOOD DEMAND FOOD DISTRIBUTION FOOD EXPENDITURES FOOD FOR EDUCATION FOOD INSECURITY FOOD ITEMS FOOD NEEDS FOOD POLICY FOOD PRICES FOOD PRODUCTION FOOD PROGRAMS FOOD PURCHASES FOOD QUANTITY FOOD RATION FOOD RATIONS FOOD SECURITY FOOD SECURITY INDICATORS FOOD SECURITY ISSUES FOOD SHORTAGE FOOD STAMP FOOD STAMPS FOOD TRANSFER FOOD TRANSFERS FOOD-FOR-WORK FOODS FRUIT FRUITS GLOBAL FOOD PRODUCTION GRAINS HEALTH CARE HOME RATION HOME RATIONS HONEY HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION HOUSEHOLD FOOD HOUSEHOLD FOOD CONSUMPTION HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY HOUSEHOLD INCOME HOUSEHOLD LEVEL HOUSEHOLD RESOURCES HOUSEHOLD SIZE HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE HUNGER INCOME INCOME GROWTH INSURANCE IRON LABELING LEAN SEASON LEGUMES MAINTENANCE PROGRAM MAIZE MAIZE MARKET MALNUTRITION MARKET ANALYSIS MARKET PRICES MEAT MEATS MICRONUTRIENTS MILK POWDER NATURAL DISASTERS NUTRIENT NUTRIENTS NUTRITION ASSISTANCE NUTRITION NEEDS NUTRITION TRAINING NUTRITIONAL CONTENT NUTRITIONAL VALUE NUTRITIOUS FOOD OILS AND FATS PALM OIL PASTA PEANUTS POLITICAL ECONOMY POOR POOR PEOPLE POOR POPULATIONS POTATOES POVERTY GAP POVERTY LINE POVERTY-REDUCING POLICIES PROTECTION SYSTEMS PROVISION OF FOOD PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM PUBLIC TRANSFERS PUBLIC WORKS PULSES PURCHASING POWER RED BEANS REFUGEE CAMPS RICE RISK MANAGEMENT RURAL RURAL MAINTENANCE RURAL ROADS SAFETY NET SAFETY NET PROGRAMS SAFETY NET TRANSFERS SAFETY NETS SAVINGS SCHOOL FEEDING SCHOOL FEES SEAFOOD SHARE OF TRANSFERS SOCIAL PROTECTION SOCIAL SAFETY NETS SORGHUM STAPLE FOODS STARCH SUGAR SUPERMARKET SUPERMARKETS TARGETING TEA TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT TRANSACTION COSTS TRANSFER AMOUNT TRANSFER AMOUNTS TRANSFER INCOME TRANSFER PROGRAM TRANSFER PROGRAMS TRANSFER SIZES TRANSFERS IN CASH TUBERS VEGETABLES VITAMIN VOUCHER SCHEME VOUCHERS VULNERABLE GROUP VULNERABLE PEOPLE WFP WHEAT WHEAT FLOUR WORKS PROGRAM
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/214-/7-/19804776/daily-bread-evidence-comparing-cash-versus-food-transfers http://hdl.handle.net/10986/19981

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Summary:	This paper reviews key issues in the 'cash versus food' debate, including as they relate to political economy, theory, evidence, and practice. In doing so, it benefited from a new generation of 12 impact evaluations deliberately comparing alternative transfer modalities. Findings show that differences in effectiveness vary by indicator, although they tend to be moderate on average. In some cases differences are more marked (i.e., food consumption and calorie availability), but in most instances they are not statistically significant. In general, transfers' performance and their difference seem a function of the organic and fluid interactions among factors like the profile and 'initial conditions' of beneficiaries, the capacity of local markets, and program objectives and design. Costs associated with cash transfers and vouchers tend to be substantially lower relative to food. Yet methods for cost-effectiveness analysis vary and need to be more standardized and nuanced. The reviewed evaluations are helping to shift the debate from one shaped by ideology, political economy and 'inference' of evidence to one centering on robust and context-specific results.