Evaluating seasonal food storage and credit programs in east Indonesia

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Basu, Karna; Wong, Maisy
• 署名单位: City University of New York (CUNY) System; Hunter College (CUNY); City University of New York (CUNY) System; University of Pennsylvania
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0304-3878
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2015.02.001
• 发表日期: 2015
• 页码: 200-216
• 关键词: seasonality; Food policy; Food storage; Food credit

摘要

Predictable annual lean seasons occur in many rural areas, including West Timor in Indonesia. Imperfections in savings and credit markets make it difficult for staple farmers to convert harvest season output into lean season consumption. We conduct a randomized evaluation of a seasonal food storage program and a food credit program. By providing improved ways to transfer assets across seasons, each program functions as a subsidy on lean season consumption. We find that neither program had effects on staple food consumption. The storage program increased non-food consumption. The credit program increased reported income and reduced seasonal gaps in consumption. Our results are consistent with positive income effects through the expansion of budget sets, but suggest that the average household could be close to staple food satiation. (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier B.V.