Gentilini, Ugo2014-09-082014-09-082014-07https://hdl.handle.net/10986/19981This paper reviews key issues in the 'cash versus food' debate, including as they relate to political economy, theory, evidence, and practice. In doing so, it benefited from a new generation of 12 impact evaluations deliberately comparing alternative transfer modalities. Findings show that differences in effectiveness vary by indicator, although they tend to be moderate on average. In some cases differences are more marked (i.e., food consumption and calorie availability), but in most instances they are not statistically significant. In general, transfers' performance and their difference seem a function of the organic and fluid interactions among factors like the profile and 'initial conditions' of beneficiaries, the capacity of local markets, and program objectives and design. Costs associated with cash transfers and vouchers tend to be substantially lower relative to food. Yet methods for cost-effectiveness analysis vary and need to be more standardized and nuanced. The reviewed evaluations are helping to shift the debate from one shaped by ideology, political economy and 'inference' of evidence to one centering on robust and context-specific results.en-USCC BY 3.0 IGOADMINISTRATIVE COSTSAGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIESAGRICULTURAL INPUTSAGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITYANEMIAAVAILABILITY OF FOODBARSBENEFICIARIESBENEFICIARYBREADCALORIC INTAKECALORIE INTAKECASH GRANTSCASH INTERVENTIONSCASH PAYMENTSCASH TRANSFERCASH TRANSFER PROGRAMSCASH TRANSFERSCASSAVACEREALSCHILD MALNUTRITIONCHOCOLATECHRONIC FOOD INSECURITYCHRONIC MALNUTRITIONCOGNITIVE DEVELOPMENTCONDIMENTSCONDITIONAL CASHCONDITIONAL TRANSFERCONSUMPTION SMOOTHINGCORNCOST-EFFECTIVENESSDAIRYDIETDISTRIBUTION OF BENEFITSDISTRIBUTION OF WEALTHDISTRIBUTION PROGRAMDISTRIBUTION SYSTEMDRIED FISHEGGSEXTREME POVERTYFAMINEFAMINESFARMERSFLOURFOOD ACCESSFOOD AIDFOOD ASSISTANCEFOOD AVAILABILITYFOOD BASKETFOOD BASKETSFOOD COMMODITIESFOOD CONSUMPTIONFOOD DEMANDFOOD DISTRIBUTIONFOOD EXPENDITURESFOOD FOR EDUCATIONFOOD INSECURITYFOOD ITEMSFOOD NEEDSFOOD POLICYFOOD PRICESFOOD PRODUCTIONFOOD PROGRAMSFOOD PURCHASESFOOD QUANTITYFOOD RATIONFOOD RATIONSFOOD SECURITYFOOD SECURITY INDICATORSFOOD SECURITY ISSUESFOOD SHORTAGEFOOD STAMPFOOD STAMPSFOOD TRANSFERFOOD TRANSFERSFOOD-FOR-WORKFOODSFRUITFRUITSGLOBAL FOOD PRODUCTIONGRAINSHEALTH CAREHOME RATIONHOME RATIONSHONEYHOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTIONHOUSEHOLD FOODHOUSEHOLD FOOD CONSUMPTIONHOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITYHOUSEHOLD INCOMEHOUSEHOLD LEVELHOUSEHOLD RESOURCESHOUSEHOLD SIZEHUMANITARIAN RESPONSEHUNGERINCOMEINCOME GROWTHINSURANCEIRONLABELINGLEAN SEASONLEGUMESMAINTENANCE PROGRAMMAIZEMAIZE MARKETMALNUTRITIONMARKET ANALYSISMARKET PRICESMEATMEATSMICRONUTRIENTSMILK POWDERNATURAL DISASTERSNUTRIENTNUTRIENTSNUTRITION ASSISTANCENUTRITION NEEDSNUTRITION TRAININGNUTRITIONAL CONTENTNUTRITIONAL VALUENUTRITIOUS FOODOILS AND FATSPALM OILPASTAPEANUTSPOLITICAL ECONOMYPOORPOOR PEOPLEPOOR POPULATIONSPOTATOESPOVERTY GAPPOVERTY LINEPOVERTY-REDUCING POLICIESPROTECTION SYSTEMSPROVISION OF FOODPUBLIC DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMPUBLIC TRANSFERSPUBLIC WORKSPULSESPURCHASING POWERRED BEANSREFUGEE CAMPSRICERISK MANAGEMENTRURALRURAL MAINTENANCERURAL ROADSSAFETY NETSAFETY NET PROGRAMSSAFETY NET TRANSFERSSAFETY NETSSAVINGSSCHOOL FEEDINGSCHOOL FEESSEAFOODSHARE OF TRANSFERSSOCIAL PROTECTIONSOCIAL SAFETY NETSSORGHUMSTAPLE FOODSSTARCHSUGARSUPERMARKETSUPERMARKETSTARGETINGTEATEMPORARY EMPLOYMENTTRANSACTION COSTSTRANSFER AMOUNTTRANSFER AMOUNTSTRANSFER INCOMETRANSFER PROGRAMTRANSFER PROGRAMSTRANSFER SIZESTRANSFERS IN CASHTUBERSVEGETABLESVITAMINVOUCHER SCHEMEVOUCHERSVULNERABLE GROUPVULNERABLE PEOPLEWFPWHEATWHEAT FLOURWORKS PROGRAM10.1596/19981