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Do input subsidies reduce poverty among smallholder farm households? Evidence from Zambia

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  • Mason, Nicole M.
  • Tembo, Solomon T.

Abstract

Many of the ‘new’ agricultural input subsidy programs (ISPs) in sub-Saharan Africa list raising farm incomes and reducing rural poverty among their objectives, but are ISPs achieving these objectives? We use data from two nationally-representative surveys of smallholder farm households in Zambia to estimate the effects of an increase in ISP fertilizer on household incomes, poverty severity, and the probability of household income falling below the US$2 and US$1.25/capita/day poverty lines. Results suggest that although ISP fertilizer raises smallholder incomes, the increase is not large or widely distributed enough to substantively reduce the probability or severity of poverty.

Suggested Citation

  • Mason, Nicole M. & Tembo, Solomon T., 2014. "Do input subsidies reduce poverty among smallholder farm households? Evidence from Zambia," 2014 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2014, Minneapolis, Minnesota 170617, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:aaea14:170617
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.170617
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    Cited by:

    1. Anna Wolkenhauer, 2016. "Transformative social protection: findings from the Zambian child grant and farmer input support programmes," One Pager 338, International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth.
    2. Kristi Mahrt & Gibson Masumbu, 2015. "Estimating multidimensional poverty in Zambia," WIDER Working Paper Series 137, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    3. Kristi Mahrt & Gibson Masumbu, 2015. "Estimating multidimensional poverty in Zambia," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2015-137, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    4. Ngoma, Hambulo & Mason, Nicole & Sitko, Nicholas, 2015. "Does minimum tillage with planting basins or ripping raise maize yields? Meso-panel data evidence from Zambia," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 212530, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    5. Houssou, Nazaire & Andam, Kwaw S. & Collins, Asante-Addo, 2017. "Can better targeting improve the effectiveness of Ghana's Fertilizer Subsidy Program? Lessons from Ghana and other countries in Africa south of the Sahara," IFPRI discussion papers 1605, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    6. Zinnbauer, Maximilian & Mockshell, Jonathan & Zeller, Manfred, 2018. "Effects if Fertilizer Subsidies in Zambia: A Literature Review," MPRA Paper 84125, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    Keywords

    Agricultural and Food Policy; Food Security and Poverty; International Development;
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