Is the self-reliance strategy sustainable? Evidence from assistance programmes to refugees in Uganda

Marina Mastrorillo (), Antonio Scognamillo, Camille Ginet, Rebecca Pietrelli, Marco D’Errico and Adriana Ignaciuk
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Marina Mastrorillo: The Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT
Antonio Scognamillo: Agrifood Economics and Policy Division, FAO
Camille Ginet: Agrifood Economics and Policy Division, FAO
Rebecca Pietrelli: Agrifood Economics and Policy Division/Office of Emergencies and Resilience, FAO
Marco D’Errico: Agrifood Economics and Policy Division, FAO
Adriana Ignaciuk: Agrifood Economics and Policy Division, FAO

Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, 2024, vol. 16, issue 6, No 15, 1587-1617

Abstract: Abstract The Ugandan self-reliance integration mechanism is one of the most progressive refugee integration policy of the world. Within this policy framework, refugees are provided with a land to cultivate and are free to work and decide their residence. This work provides quantitative evidence on lights and shadows characterizing such policy. Final objective of this work is to guide interventions aimed at increasing effectiveness and sustainability of such mechanism in the light of the rising refugee population in the country. Taking advantage of a unique panel dataset representative of around 80% of Ugandan refugees (as of 2018), this study specifically investigates the impact of cash and food transfers on a range of outcomes related to food security and self-reliance. Results show that both transfers reduce the likelihood of implementing negative coping strategies. However, transfers’ relative effectiveness depends on beneficiaries’ characteristics, context specificity, and outcome assessed. In particular, food transfers improve households’ diet, while cash transfers are more suitable to support self-reliance, but only for refugees that cultivate a sufficient extent of land. These findings are expected to add insights for policymaking to alleviate the refugees’ short-term humanitarian needs while paving the way to build long-term and sustainable pathways towards self-reliance.

Keywords: Refugees; Self-reliance; Cash transfers; Food transfers; Food security; 015; 019; Q12; Q15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1007/s12571-024-01467-8

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