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Social protection for all ages? Impacts of Ethiopia’s Productive Safety Net Program on child nutrition

Author

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  • Porter, Catherine
  • Goyal, Radhika
Abstract
We investigate the impact of a large-scale social protection scheme, the Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) in Ethiopia, on child nutritional outcomes. Children living in households that receive cash transfers should experience improved child nutrition. However, in the case of the PSNP, which for the majority of participants is a public works program, there are several potential threats to finding effects: first, without conditionality on child inputs, increased household income may not be translated into improved child nutrition. Second, the work requirement may impact on parental time, child time use and calories burned. Third, if there is a critical period for child human capital investment that closes before the age of 5 then children above this age may not see any improvement in medium-term nutritional outcomes, measured here as height-for-age. Using a cohort study that collected data both pre-and post-program implementation in 2002, 2006 and 2009, we exploit several novel aspects of the survey design to find estimates that can deal with non-random program placement. We present both matching and difference-in-differences estimates for the index children, as well as sibling-differences. Our estimates show an important positive medium-term nutritional impact of the program for children aged 5–15 that are comparable in size to Conditional Cash Transfer program impacts for much younger children. We show indicative evidence that the program impact on improved nutrition is associated with improved food security and reduced child working hours. Our robustness checks restrict the comparison group, by including only households who were shortlisted, but never received PSNP, and also exclude those who never received aid, thus identifying impact based on timing alone. We cannot rule out that the nutritional impact of the program is the same for younger and older children.

Suggested Citation

  • Porter, Catherine & Goyal, Radhika, 2016. "Social protection for all ages? Impacts of Ethiopia’s Productive Safety Net Program on child nutrition," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 92-99.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:159:y:2016:i:c:p:92-99
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.05.001
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    Cited by:

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    3. Jules Gazeaud & Victor Stephane, 2023. "Productive Workfare? Evidence from Ethiopia's Productive Safety Net Program," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 105(1), pages 265-290, January.
    4. Bezawit Adugna Bahru & Manfred Zeller, 2022. "Gauging the impact of Ethiopia’s productive safety net programme on agriculture: Application of targeted maximum likelihood estimation approach," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 73(1), pages 257-276, February.
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    6. Ayalew Astatkie, 2020. "Dynamics of stunting from childhood to youthhood in Ethiopia: Evidence from the Young Lives panel data," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(2), pages 1-20, February.
    7. Aregawi G. Gebremariam & Elisabetta Lodigiani & Giacomo Pasini, 2017. "The impact of Ethiopian Productive Safety-net Program on children's educational aspirations," Working Papers 2017:26, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    8. Tesfaye, Wondimagegn, 2022. "Crop diversification and child malnutrition in rural Ethiopia: Impacts and Pathways," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    9. Getachew Yirga Belete, 2021. "Impacts of Social Protection Programmes on Children’s Resources and Wellbeing: Evidence from Ethiopia," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 14(2), pages 681-712, April.
    10. Emmanuel Okewu & Sanjay Misra & Jonathan Okewu & Robertas Damaševičius & Rytis Maskeliūnas, 2019. "An Intelligent Advisory System to Support Managerial Decisions for A Social Safety Net," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-14, August.
    11. Borga, Liyousew G. & D’Ambrosio, Conchita, 2021. "Social protection and multidimensional poverty: Lessons from Ethiopia, India and Peru," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    12. Aregawi G Gebremariam & Elisabetta Lodigiani & Giacomo Pasini, 2024. "The Impact of Ethiopian Productive Safety Net Program on Children's Educational Aspirations and Attainments," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 33(3), pages 271-296.
    13. Nicky Pouw & Katja Bender, 2022. "The Poverty Reduction Effect of Social Protection: The Pros and Cons of a Multidisciplinary Approach," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(5), pages 2204-2223, October.
    14. Tadesse, Getaw & Zewdie, Tadiwos, 2019. "Grants vs. credits for improving the livelihoods of ultra-poor: Evidence from Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 320-329.
    15. Mariapia Mendola & Mengesha Yayo Negasi, 2019. "Nutritional and Schooling Impact of a Cash Transfer Program in Ethiopia: A Retrospective Analysis of Childhood Experience," Development Working Papers 451, Centro Studi Luca d'Agliano, University of Milano.
    16. Yohannes , Dereje & Lindskog, Annika, 2023. "The Impact of Rainfall Shock on Child Labor: The Role of the Productive Safety Nets Program and Credit Markets in Ethiopia," EfD Discussion Paper 23-17, Environment for Development, University of Gothenburg.
    17. Isabel Novo-Corti & Diana-Mihaela Țîrcă & Magdalena Ziolo & Xose Picatoste, 2019. "Social Effects of Economic Crisis: Risk of Exclusion. An Overview of the European Context," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-17, January.
    18. Li, Jia, 2024. "Less stunted? The impact of Chinese health aid on child nutrition," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 342(C).
    19. Morrow, Virginia & Tafere, Yisak & Chuta, Nardos & Zharkevich, Ina, 2017. "“I started working because I was hungry”: The consequences of food insecurity for children's well-being in rural Ethiopia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 1-9.

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