Do safety net transfers improve household diets and reduce under nutrition? Evidence from rural Ethiopia

The paper examines the impact of the Ethiopia’s Productive Safety Net Program on household dietary diversity and child nutrition using both waves of the Ethiopian Socio-economic Survey.
Key messages
• The Productive Safety Net Program is not found to have any impact on dietary diversity or child nutrition, however, it does help reduce household food insecurity.
• A nutrition-sensitive social protection program should be implemented.
• To improve child nutrition, social benefits can be made conditional on parents’ participation in nutrition education programs.