Large numbers of South Africans receive social grants (public transfers) or remittances (private transfers), and yet one in four South Africans is food insecure. The purpose of this paper is to address two questions: do social grants and remittances improve food security and nutritional outcomes? If so, do these impacts differ between public and private transfers? Drawing on the National Income Dynamic Survey (NIDS), South Africa’s first nationally representative survey that follows more than 28,000 individuals over time, we found significant and positive impacts of the Older Person’s Grant and of remittances on the dietary diversity index, but not of the Child Support Grant. Moreover, we found no effect on food expenditure or on anthropometry (BMI) by the Older Person’s Grant, or remittances. However, some positive effects were found on children’s BMI from the Child Support Grant. We discuss why we observe different effects from different transfers, as well as giving several reasons why income transfers are failing to close the nutritional deficits in South Africa.
related Publications
Ilungelo lokufumana ukutya lilungelo eliqinisekileyo kuMgaqo-siseko womMzansi Afrika.
Ilungelo lokufumana ukutya lilungelo eliqinisekileyo kuMgaqo-siseko womMzansi Afrika. Kwaye inzululwazi nophando zincedisa ukukhusela eli lungelo. Wonke umntu unelungelo lokuba nokutya okwaneleyo nokune sondlo. Inzululwazi (science) incedisa ama-Fama ukuze akhulise isivuno sawo ngcono, kwaye ulwazi nophando olwenziweyo (research) luncedisa iintsapho ukuba zitye ukutya okungcono. Ulwazi lunceda abahlali bamanyane kwaye babe namandla. ...
Jou reg tot voedsel is ‘n mensereg.
Jou reg tot voedsel is ‘n mensereg. Wetenskap en kennes help om hierdie reg te beskerm. Elke mens het die reg tot veilige en gesonde voedsel. Wetenskap help die boere met beter kennis en navorsing om gesinne beter te laat eet. Kennis hou gemeenskappe sterk. Die DSTI-NRF Centre of Excellence ...
Your right to food is a human right.
Your right to food is a human right. Science and knowledge helps to protect that right. Everyone deserves enough safe and healthy food. Science helps farmers grow better crops, and research helps families eat better. Knowledge helps communities stay strong. The DSTI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security (CoE-FS) works ...