Cash transfer interventions are growing at an unprecedented scale and considered as one of the most effective tools to realise food security. For this reason, The Broker produced a short-read to inform organisations, practitioners and policymakers who are interested in cash transfer programming for food security in fragile settings.
Based on quick scan of available literature, reviews and impact evaluations of existing cash transfer programmes and interviews with practitioners and input from a reference group, this short-read provides key insights about:
- Evidence about the triad relationship (cash transfers, food security, and fragility);
- Conditionalities for cash transfer programming in fragile settings; and
- Relevant resources, tools and guidelines that can inform organisations to define the modality of their cash transfer programme in fragile settings.
The preliminary findings of this short-read suggest that cash transfers can indeed be an effective tool to realise food security in fragile settings. The effectiveness and suitability of such interventions depend on their ability to adjust to contextual and local factors. These factors include among others functioning and accessible local markets and the alignment with existing social protection programmes. Flexibility (i.e. the ability to adjust your modality based on the specific manifestation of fragility) is a determinant factor in defining the effectiveness of cash transfers in the realisation of food security.
This short-read is part of a longer project that the Broker conducts on the above-mentioned triad relationship in collaboration with INCLUDE, F&BKP and KPSRL. This knowledge product is a result of phase one of the project and is presented at a workshop with policymakers, experts and practitioners.