Assessing the Contribution of Food Assistance for Assets on Food Availability in Chipinge, Zimbabwe

Abstract:

This paper assessed the effects of Food for Assets (FFA) in improving food availability in Chipinge District of Zimbabwe. Results show that FFA significantly contributes to meeting immediate food needs for participating households, especially households with low numbers. However, being a short-term intervention and targeting few households within communities, the FFA programme’s overall effectiveness at the community level is minimal. As a coping strategy, households resorted to food rationing to ensure that the food lasted the whole season. Also, households that participated both as workers and had established plots in FFA irrigation schemes had a better opportunity to cope since they also resorted to their own food production. Such households were found to have increased food availability compared to non-beneficiaries. Short working hours that guide FFA activities have also allowed community members to engage in other productive activities to improve food security. We recommend that future FFA should be implemented over an extended period for a more sustainable benefit on food availability and livelihoods. Participation in the FFA programme should be transitory to enable progression from emergency response to more developmental initiatives that will result in long term food availability and sustainable livelihoods.