A new insight impact of off-farm work on food security of smallholders: evidence of heterogeneous effects from Benin

Abraham Amoussouga Gero ()
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Abraham Amoussouga Gero: National University of Agriculture

Journal of Social and Economic Development, 2024, vol. 26, issue 2, No 16, 683-703

Abstract: Abstract This paper analyses the impact of participation in off-farm work on food security of farm households in Benin, with a focus on the presence of heterogeneous effects. A propensity score matching model was used to account for the selection of participants in off-farm work. Survey data from a Global Analysis of Vulnerability and Food Security, conducted in 2017, were used. The results show that participation in off-farm work positively and significantly improved all food security indicators, except monthly food expenditure. Thus, participation in off-farm work increased the household consumption and dietary diversity scores by 8.83% and 6.32%, respectively, and decreased the reducing coping strategies index by 8.32%. However, those positive gains were not shared equally across regions. A more detailed analysis of this heterogeneity shows that the gains associated with participation in off-farm work were concentrated among male-headed households in rural regions. These results imply that policies to promote off-farm work should consider the local context and the socio-demographic characteristics of households in their design to improve their effectiveness.

Keywords: Food consumption; Dietary diversity; Food expenditure; Impact evaluation; Off-farm (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1007/s40847-023-00289-2

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