Government Transfers, COVID-19 Shock, and Food Insecurity: Evidence from Rural Households in India

IFPRI Discussion Paper 2110 (2022)

42 Pages Posted: 8 Mar 2022

See all articles by Anjani Kumar

Anjani Kumar

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Sunil Saroj

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Ashok K. Mishra

Arizona State University (ASU) - W.P. Carey School of Business

Shahidur Rashid

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Date Written: March 4, 2022

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has decimated the lives and livelihoods of people around the world. The impact of COVID-19 has been especially devastating for low-income families in rural areas of India. Food insecurity became pervasive in rural areas soon after the nationwide lockdown was announced, as many families relied on daily wage work to fund basic necessities. By providing cash transfers and the additional foodgrains, Indian policymakers acted swiftly to reduce the financial impact on family income and consumption. This paper investigates the factors affecting the participation of rural families in the cash transfer program and the effect of government cash transfers on food insecurity. Results indicate that the government cash transfer program in India decreased moderate food insecurity by 2.4% and severe food insecurity by about 0.92%.

Keywords: India, South Asia, Asia, food insecurity, Coronavirus, coronavirus disease, Coronavirinae, COVID-19, rural areas, cash transfers, households, shock, income, models, Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, food insecurity experience scale (FIES), Rasch model, Lewbel IV model

Suggested Citation

Kumar, Anjani and Saroj, Sunil and Mishra, Ashok K. and Rashid, Shahidur, Government Transfers, COVID-19 Shock, and Food Insecurity: Evidence from Rural Households in India (March 4, 2022). IFPRI Discussion Paper 2110 (2022), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4051996 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4051996

Anjani Kumar

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) ( email )

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Sunil Saroj (Contact Author)

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) ( email )

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United States

Ashok K. Mishra

Arizona State University (ASU) - W.P. Carey School of Business ( email )

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Shahidur Rashid

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) ( email )

United States
202-862-6498 (Phone)
202-467-4439 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.ifpri.org/staffprofile/shahidur-rashid

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