Improving the targeting of fertilizer subsidy programs in Africa south of the Sahara: Perspectives from the Ghanaian experience

This paper assesses whether fertilizer subsidy programs can be better targeted to resource-poor farmers using the case of Ghana and proxy means test approaches. Past fertilizer subsidy programs in the country have not been particularly targeted to the poor, even as targeting poor and smallholder far...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Houssou, Nazaire, Asante-Addo, Collins, Andam, Kwaw S.
Formato: Artículo preliminar
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Food Policy Research Institute 2017
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/147859
_version_ 1855515894095020032
author Houssou, Nazaire
Asante-Addo, Collins
Andam, Kwaw S.
author_browse Andam, Kwaw S.
Asante-Addo, Collins
Houssou, Nazaire
author_facet Houssou, Nazaire
Asante-Addo, Collins
Andam, Kwaw S.
author_sort Houssou, Nazaire
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description This paper assesses whether fertilizer subsidy programs can be better targeted to resource-poor farmers using the case of Ghana and proxy means test approaches. Past fertilizer subsidy programs in the country have not been particularly targeted to the poor, even as targeting poor and smallholder farmers has become key in the program implementation guidelines. As a result, many poor farmers have not benefited from past programs. Our results show that targeting approaches based on proxy means tests that use the correlates of poverty to select beneficiary farmers can potentially improve the poverty outreach and costeffectiveness of Ghana’s fertilizer subsidy programs. Therefore, we propose that the proxy means test approach should be considered for implementing Ghana’s fertilizer subsidy programs, first in a pilot project involving a few communities, and later, if found successful, in a full-scale program.
format Artículo preliminar
id CGSpace147859
institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 2017
publishDateRange 2017
publishDateSort 2017
publisher International Food Policy Research Institute
publisherStr International Food Policy Research Institute
record_format dspace
spelling CGSpace1478592025-11-06T05:17:49Z Improving the targeting of fertilizer subsidy programs in Africa south of the Sahara: Perspectives from the Ghanaian experience Houssou, Nazaire Asante-Addo, Collins Andam, Kwaw S. fertilizers inputs resources farmers farm inputs smallholders targeting subsidies poverty This paper assesses whether fertilizer subsidy programs can be better targeted to resource-poor farmers using the case of Ghana and proxy means test approaches. Past fertilizer subsidy programs in the country have not been particularly targeted to the poor, even as targeting poor and smallholder farmers has become key in the program implementation guidelines. As a result, many poor farmers have not benefited from past programs. Our results show that targeting approaches based on proxy means tests that use the correlates of poverty to select beneficiary farmers can potentially improve the poverty outreach and costeffectiveness of Ghana’s fertilizer subsidy programs. Therefore, we propose that the proxy means test approach should be considered for implementing Ghana’s fertilizer subsidy programs, first in a pilot project involving a few communities, and later, if found successful, in a full-scale program. 2017 2024-06-21T09:23:25Z 2024-06-21T09:23:25Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/147859 en https://hdl.handle.net/10568/147947 https://hdl.handle.net/10568/147616 Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Houssou, Nazaire; Asante-Addo, Collins; and Andam, Kwaw S. 2017. Improving the targeting of fertilizer subsidy programs in Africa south of the Sahara: Perspectives from the Ghanaian experience. IFPRI Discussion Paper 1622. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://hdl.handle.net/10568/147859
spellingShingle fertilizers
inputs
resources
farmers
farm inputs
smallholders
targeting
subsidies
poverty
Houssou, Nazaire
Asante-Addo, Collins
Andam, Kwaw S.
Improving the targeting of fertilizer subsidy programs in Africa south of the Sahara: Perspectives from the Ghanaian experience
title Improving the targeting of fertilizer subsidy programs in Africa south of the Sahara: Perspectives from the Ghanaian experience
title_full Improving the targeting of fertilizer subsidy programs in Africa south of the Sahara: Perspectives from the Ghanaian experience
title_fullStr Improving the targeting of fertilizer subsidy programs in Africa south of the Sahara: Perspectives from the Ghanaian experience
title_full_unstemmed Improving the targeting of fertilizer subsidy programs in Africa south of the Sahara: Perspectives from the Ghanaian experience
title_short Improving the targeting of fertilizer subsidy programs in Africa south of the Sahara: Perspectives from the Ghanaian experience
title_sort improving the targeting of fertilizer subsidy programs in africa south of the sahara perspectives from the ghanaian experience
topic fertilizers
inputs
resources
farmers
farm inputs
smallholders
targeting
subsidies
poverty
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/147859
work_keys_str_mv AT houssounazaire improvingthetargetingoffertilizersubsidyprogramsinafricasouthofthesaharaperspectivesfromtheghanaianexperience
AT asanteaddocollins improvingthetargetingoffertilizersubsidyprogramsinafricasouthofthesaharaperspectivesfromtheghanaianexperience
AT andamkwaws improvingthetargetingoffertilizersubsidyprogramsinafricasouthofthesaharaperspectivesfromtheghanaianexperience