Cash Transfers Enable Households to Cope with Agricultural Production and Price Shocks: Evidence from Zambia

Citation

Lawlor, Kathleen; Handa, Sudhanshu; & Seidenfeld, David (2019). Cash Transfers Enable Households to Cope with Agricultural Production and Price Shocks: Evidence from Zambia. Journal of Development Studies, 55(2), 209-226. PMCID: PMC6581456

Abstract

Climate change is projected to dramatically disrupt rainfall patterns and agricultural yields in sub-Saharan Africa. These shocks to food production can mire farming households in poverty traps. This study investigates whether unconditional cash transfers can help households cope with agricultural production and price shocks. We find that cash empowers poor, rural households facing these negative shocks to employ coping strategies typically used by the non-poor and enables them to substantially increase their food consumption and overall food security. Extending relatively small cash payments unconditionally to the rural poor is a powerful policy option for fostering climate-resilient development.

URL

https://doi.org/10.1080/00220388.2017.1393519

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

2019

Journal Title

Journal of Development Studies

Author(s)

Lawlor, Kathleen
Handa, Sudhanshu
Seidenfeld, David

PMCID

PMC6581456