Year of publication 2002

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Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

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Product type Book (stand-alone)

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Series title FAO Agricultural Economics Working Paper

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Edition 1

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Synopsis (short abstract) This paper examines the PROGRESA and PROCAMPO cash transfer programmes in Mexico and evaluates their impact on household food security and nutrition. These two programmes differ in their gender targeting, with PROGRESA aimed at women and PROCAMPO generally at men, and conditionality, with PROGRESA linked to development of human capital of children in the households and PROCAMPO linked to agricultural production. We try to answer the following questions. First, can a cash transfer programme geare d to agricultural production have the same impact on food security as a cash transfer programme geared to consumption through purchases? Second, do eligibility requirements (gender of the recipient) and conditionality in the provision of cash transfers matter? Our results suggest that, contrary to conventional wisdom, men do not just drink away cash transfers and that monetary payments linked to a productive asset –land- can have as large or larger impact on food security as cash transfers not l inked to a productive asset. We show that both programs boost total food consumption and caloric intake in similar proportions. However, PROCAMPO has a larger impact on meat and vegetables consumption and PROGRESA on the other food category. We also find that cash transfers linked to information on nutrition and health increase food diversity. PROCAMPO households that also receive PROGRESA, and the information that goes with it, are more likely to be eating a more varied diet than households tha t get PROCAMPO only. All this suggests that the choice of programme design in terms of food security depends on objectives beyond total food consumption and caloric intake.

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Language Trilingual

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