Does subsidizing fertilizer contribute to the diet quality of farm women? Evidence from rural Mali

Smale, Mélinda; Thériault, Véronique; Mason, Nicole M.

doi:10.1007/s12571-020-01097-w

Cited by 13 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…The regression from propensity score matching reveals a positive effect of subsidized fertilizer on the nutritional outcomes of farm households in the Niger Delta, in line with other studies on of input subsidies in sub-Saharan Africa (Smale et al 2020;Snapp and Fisher 2014;Harou 2018;Wiredu et al 2015). In Malawi, Harou (2018) found that children under five who lived in households that benefited from the subsidy had higher weight-for-age, weight-for-length and body mass index than those in non-beneficiary households.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

“…Snapp and Fisher (2014) found a positive impact resulting from greater commercialization of maize on household dietary diversity scores in Malawi. Smale et al (2020) found a positive effect on the likelihood that women would attain the minimum adequate dietary diversity threshold. The innovation of this study lies in the fact that the overall dietary diversity score is broken down according the food supply source-an approach which we have not found in previously published literature.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…The few studies on nutritional outcomes related to the agricultural input subsidy have often focused on the consumption of the target staple, measured in terms of calorie intake. In Mali, Smale et al (2020) found that receiving subsidized fertilizer increases the likelihood that farm women consume the minimum number of food groups needed for an adequate diet. Their analysis also shows that positive effects may be offset by the negative association of diet quality with all subsidized fertilizer received by other plot managers in the same household-perhaps because it leads to greater farm orientation toward targeted crops.…”

Section: Cabi Agriculture and Biosciencementioning

confidence: 99%

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Articulating fertilizer subsidy effects on women’s diet quality by food supply source in Mali

Assima

Zanello²,

Smale³

2022

CABI Agric Biosci

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Background Mali’s fertilizer subsidy program aims to reduce food insecurity among the nation’s predominantly rural people by jump-starting productivity gains of major crops. This paper contributes to sparse evidence regarding its effects. Methods Theory predicts that agricultural productivity can affect diet quality directly through two channels. The production channel influences the availability of food for household consumption or sale. The income pathway, resulting from sales, leads to household food expenditure. We test this hypothesis by applying propensity score matching methods to farm household survey data collected from 2400 households in Mali in 2018. Results We find that the overall effect of the fertilizer subsidy on women’s dietary diversity is positive in the Niger Delta and negative on the Koutiala Plateau. Further examination by food supply source reveals no subsidy effects on the dietary diversity provided by on-farm production in either zone. The subsidy negatively influences dietary diversity of foods sourced as gifts in the Niger Delta. Subsidy effects on dietary diversity accessed through food purchases are strong and positive in the Niger Delta, but negative on the Koutiala Plateau. The Koutiala Plateau is found in the region of Sikasso, where rising incomes from cotton production, which is the major export crop of the region and of the nation, have been shown not to alleviate poverty and malnutrition (a dilemma known as the “Sikasso Paradox”). Conclusions Our approach reveals that additional income from increased yields stimulated by subsidized fertilizer can enable off-farm purchases of more nutritious food and thereby improve nutritional outcomes for women.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Cabi Agriculture and Biosciencementioning

confidence: 99%

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Articulating fertilizer subsidy effects on women’s diet quality by food supply source in Mali

Assima

Zanello²,

Smale³

2022

CABI Agric Biosci

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“…Below, we present detailed data summaries that illuminate the nutritional status of households and individuals in Mali with respect to these conditions. In a related analysis, we develop a fuller conceptual framework and apply it in a causal analysis of the way a specific food policya fertiliser subsidyaffects the diet quality of rural women (Smale et al 2020).…”

Section: Conceptsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutritional implications of dietary patterns in Mali

Smale¹,

Thériault²,

Vroegindewey³

2020

AfJARE

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Mali’s population is experiencing lifestyle and dietary changes that are driven in part by urbanisation and income growth. Utilising two large-scale datasets, we bring new empirical evidence regarding whether Malians are shifting toward highly processed foods, meals purchased away from home, and sugary foods. We find that on-farm production represents only 25% of the food consumed by rural households during the hungry season, and 36% after harvest. Processed food shares are greater in urban (60%) than in rural areas (48%), and considerably higher overall than those reported for Eastern and Southern Africa, but with a lower portion of highly processed foods and negligible shares of meals consumed outside the home. Average household dietary diversity scores are higher in urban than in rural areas. Women’s and household diet diversity varies by season in both locations. About half of farm women interviewed did not meet minimum adequate dietary diversity during the lean season.

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“…First, we provide new evidence on the effects of SLSs on farm productivity, dietary quality, and child nutrition. Though not on legume seed subsidies, a few studies (Smale et al, 2020;Harou, 2018) have found that fertilizer subsidies improved dietary quality. Other studies (Theriault & Smale, 2021;Chibwana et al, 2012) have found that input subsidies crowd out farmland allocated to legumes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does subsidizing legume seeds improve farm productivity and nutrition in Malawi?

Khonje¹,

Nyondo²,

Mangisoni

et al. 2022

Food Policy

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Does subsidizing fertilizer contribute to the diet quality of farm women? Evidence from rural Mali

Cited by 13 publications

References 25 publications

Articulating fertilizer subsidy effects on women’s diet quality by food supply source in Mali

Articulating fertilizer subsidy effects on women’s diet quality by food supply source in Mali

Nutritional implications of dietary patterns in Mali

Does subsidizing legume seeds improve farm productivity and nutrition in Malawi?

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