The Dynamic Effects of Cash Transfers to Agricultural Households

Shilpa Aggarwal, Jenny C. Aker, Dahyeon Jeong, Naresh Kumar, David Sungho Park, Jonathan Robinson and Alan Spearot

American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2026, vol. 18, issue 3, 254-82

Abstract: Little is known about the evolution and persistence of the effects of one-time cash transfers, especially in rural agricultural settings with limited productive investment opportunities. We use bimonthly phone surveys to estimate dynamic impacts for cash transfer recipients in Liberia and Malawi. We find immediate increases in food security that attenuate over time but do not entirely dissipate even 1.5–2 years later, driven by increased farm investments and production. We find increases in farm profits, reductions in casual off-farm labor, improvements in psychological well-being, and, in Liberia, a reduction in intimate partner violence (IPV).

JEL-codes: I31 I32 J43 O12 O13 Q12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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DOI: 10.1257/app.20230034

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