Impact of Zambia's farmer input support program E-voucher system on smallholder farmers' food security

• Published in: Agrekon Vol. 64; no. 2; pp. 183 - 199
• Main Authors: Kuteya, Auckland N., Kalinda, Thomson H., Kuntashula, Elias
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Routledge 03.04.2025
• Subjects: Dietary diversity; E-voucher; food security; input subsidy program; Zambia
• ISSN: 0303-1853; 2078-0400
• DOI: 10.1080/03031853.2025.2515877

Farm input subsidy programs (FISP) are a common policy tool to cushion food insecurity in many sub-Saharan African countries. This study sought to evaluate effects of Zambia's FISP e-voucher system on food security for smallholder households in terms of months of adequate household food provisions and dietary diversity, using propensity score matching and difference-in-differences techniques. Although the program's objective is to improve food security, actual results show no statistically significant changes in food adequacy. Households headed by females have higher food inadequacy, hence the need to establish gender sensitive policies. In addition, this study indicates education, land size and cattle ownership as significant drivers to improve food adequacy and dietary diversity. Out of the factors identified, larger land areas and cattle ownership significantly reduced food inadequacy, with cattle ownership associated with a 33.3% higher likelihood of food adequacy. This emphasises the need to mainstream livestock into farming practices. The Household Dietary Diversity Score showed a negative and statistically significant treatment effect (β = −0.444, p < 0.10) indicating a slight decline in dietary diversity for the treatment group in comparison to the control households. This suggests amendments to the e-voucher program to effectively realise nutritional outcomes. These findings point toward a multi-faceted approach including access to land, education, and support for livestock as strategies to improve food security. It should be noted that operational challenges such as rising prices of inputs and shortages, exacerbated by the Kwacha depreciation at the time, hindered overall effectiveness of the program.