Social Protection and Sustainable Poverty Reduction: Experimental Evidence from Bangladesh

IFPRI Discussion Paper 1988, December 2020

35 Pages Posted: 3 Mar 2021

See all articles by Akhter U. Ahmed

Akhter U. Ahmed

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Melissa Hidrobo

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

John Hoddinott

Cornell University - Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management

Bastien Koch

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Shalini Roy

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Salauddin Tauseef

University of Manchester

Date Written: December 29, 2020

Abstract

Social protection programs are primarily focused on influencing household behavior in the short term, increasing consumption to reduce poverty and food insecurity, and promoting investments in human capital. A large body of evidence across numerous settings shows that cash and food transfer programs are highly effective in doing so. However, there is growing interest in understanding the extent to which such programs can help households stay out of poverty in the longer term, specifically after transfers end. We bring new evidence to this question, re-interviewing Bangladeshi households that participated in a well-implemented randomized social protection intervention four years after it ended. We find that combining transfers, either cash or food, with behavior change communication activities sustainably reduced poverty. Cash transfers alone had sustainable effects, but these were context-specific. The beneficial impacts of food transfers did not persist four years after the intervention finished.

Keywords: BANGLADESH, SOUTH ASIA, ASIA, social protection, food security, poverty, cash transfers, intervention, households, sustainability, nutrition, poverty alleviation

Suggested Citation

Ahmed, Akhter U. and Hidrobo, Melissa and Hoddinott, John and Koch, Bastien and Roy, Shalini and Tauseef, Salauddin, Social Protection and Sustainable Poverty Reduction: Experimental Evidence from Bangladesh (December 29, 2020). IFPRI Discussion Paper 1988, December 2020, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3757080

Akhter U. Ahmed (Contact Author)

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) ( email )

1201 Eye St, NW,
Washington, DC 20005
United States

Melissa Hidrobo

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) ( email )

1201 Eye St, NW,
Washington, DC 20005
United States

John Hoddinott

Cornell University - Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management ( email )

Ithaca, NY
United States

Bastien Koch

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) ( email )

1201 Eye St, NW,
Washington, DC 20005
United States

Shalini Roy

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) ( email )

1201 Eye St, NW,
Washington, DC 20005
United States

Salauddin Tauseef

University of Manchester ( email )

Arthur Lewis Building
Oxford Road
Manchester, M13 9PL
United Kingdom

Do you have a job opening that you would like to promote on SSRN?

Paper statistics

Downloads
48
Abstract Views
233
PlumX Metrics