Feed the Children

44 Pages Posted: 22 Sep 2021

See all articles by Laurens Cherchye

Laurens Cherchye

KU Leuven

Pierre-Andre Chiappori

Columbia University - Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Department of Economics

Bram De Rock

Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) - European Center for Advanced Research in Economics and Statistics (ECARES)

Charlotte Ringdal

NHH Norwegian School of Economics - Department of Economics

Frederic Vermeulen

KU Leuven

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Date Written: August 2021

Abstract

To understand the household decision-making process regarding food expenditures for children in poor households in Nairobi, we conduct an experiment with 424 married couples. In the experiment, the spouses (individually and jointly) allocated money between themselves and nutritious meals for one of their children. First, we find strong empirical support for individual rationality and cooperative behavior. Second, our results suggest that women do not have stronger preferences for children's meals than men. Third, the spouses' respective bargaining positions derived from consumption patterns strongly correlate with more traditional indicators. Finally, we document significant heterogeneity both between individuals and intra-household decision processes.

Keywords: children, collective model, Experiment, Intra-household allocation, Kenya

JEL Classification: C14, C90, D13

Suggested Citation

Cherchye, Laurens and Chiappori, Pierre-Andre and De Rock, Bram and Ringdal, Charlotte and Vermeulen, Frederic, Feed the Children (August 2021). CEPR Discussion Paper No. DP16482, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3928779

Pierre-Andre Chiappori

Columbia University - Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Department of Economics ( email )

420 W. 118th Street
New York, NY 10027
United States

Bram De Rock

Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) - European Center for Advanced Research in Economics and Statistics (ECARES) ( email )

Av. F. D. Roosevelt, 50
CP 114
Brussels, B-1050
Belgium

Charlotte Ringdal

NHH Norwegian School of Economics - Department of Economics ( email )

Helleveien 30
N-5035 Bergen
Norway

Frederic Vermeulen

KU Leuven ( email )

Oude Markt 13
Leuven, Vlaams-Brabant 3000
Belgium

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