Vouchers to increase fruit affordability in Nigeria and Vietnam

Although fruits are an important part of healthy diets, they are relatively expensive, so most individuals consume less than recommended. We use a randomized control trial to study a voucher program designed to improve the affordability of fruits in peri-urban and urban settings in Vietnam and Niger...

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Autores principales: Ambler, Kate, Brouwer, Inge D., de Brauw, Alan, Herskowitz, Sylvan, Mai, Truong Tuyet, Pastori, Giulia, Samuel, Folake, Shittu, Oluyemisi, Talsma, Elise F.
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Elsevier 2026
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178555
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author Ambler, Kate
Brouwer, Inge D.
de Brauw, Alan
Herskowitz, Sylvan
Mai, Truong Tuyet
Pastori, Giulia
Samuel, Folake
Shittu, Oluyemisi
Talsma, Elise F.
author_browse Ambler, Kate
Brouwer, Inge D.
Herskowitz, Sylvan
Mai, Truong Tuyet
Pastori, Giulia
Samuel, Folake
Shittu, Oluyemisi
Talsma, Elise F.
de Brauw, Alan
author_facet Ambler, Kate
Brouwer, Inge D.
de Brauw, Alan
Herskowitz, Sylvan
Mai, Truong Tuyet
Pastori, Giulia
Samuel, Folake
Shittu, Oluyemisi
Talsma, Elise F.
author_sort Ambler, Kate
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Although fruits are an important part of healthy diets, they are relatively expensive, so most individuals consume less than recommended. We use a randomized control trial to study a voucher program designed to improve the affordability of fruits in peri-urban and urban settings in Vietnam and Nigeria, and analyze whether vouchers can increase fruit consumption. The trial took place in 2021 among 601 households in Vietnam and 611 households in Nigeria. Vouchers were distributed between March and July in Vietnam and between June and November in Nigeria. In both contexts, a large majority of consumers who received vouchers used them. Following project conclusion, we find suggestive evidence of sustained increased fruit consumption only in Vietnam. In Nigeria, vouchers increased consumption of certain fruit categories during program implementation, but we find no evidence of sustained impacts. Fruit consumption is higher across the board in Vietnam, and the sample is wealthier overall, suggesting fruit affordability may not be a binding constraint for consumption. In Nigeria, the increase in consumption during the program along with a post-project decline suggest a lack of household resources to sustain consumption once the project concluded. The results suggest vouchers can improve consumption of healthy foods like fruits, but other actions are needed to make them more affordable in the longer term.
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spelling CGSpace1785552025-12-04T19:49:44Z Vouchers to increase fruit affordability in Nigeria and Vietnam Ambler, Kate Brouwer, Inge D. de Brauw, Alan Herskowitz, Sylvan Mai, Truong Tuyet Pastori, Giulia Samuel, Folake Shittu, Oluyemisi Talsma, Elise F. social protection fruits food affordability food prices food consumption liquidity Although fruits are an important part of healthy diets, they are relatively expensive, so most individuals consume less than recommended. We use a randomized control trial to study a voucher program designed to improve the affordability of fruits in peri-urban and urban settings in Vietnam and Nigeria, and analyze whether vouchers can increase fruit consumption. The trial took place in 2021 among 601 households in Vietnam and 611 households in Nigeria. Vouchers were distributed between March and July in Vietnam and between June and November in Nigeria. In both contexts, a large majority of consumers who received vouchers used them. Following project conclusion, we find suggestive evidence of sustained increased fruit consumption only in Vietnam. In Nigeria, vouchers increased consumption of certain fruit categories during program implementation, but we find no evidence of sustained impacts. Fruit consumption is higher across the board in Vietnam, and the sample is wealthier overall, suggesting fruit affordability may not be a binding constraint for consumption. In Nigeria, the increase in consumption during the program along with a post-project decline suggest a lack of household resources to sustain consumption once the project concluded. The results suggest vouchers can improve consumption of healthy foods like fruits, but other actions are needed to make them more affordable in the longer term. 2026-01 2025-12-04T19:49:43Z 2025-12-04T19:49:43Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178555 en https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-025-01529-5 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cdnut.2023.102050 https://hdl.handle.net/10568/177443 Open Access Elsevier Ambler, Kate; Brouwer, Inge D.; de Brauw, Alan; Herskowitz, Sylvan; Mai, Truong Tuyet; et al. 2026. Vouchers to increase fruit affordability in Nigeria and Vietnam. Social Science and Medicine 389(January 2026): 118848. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118848
spellingShingle social protection
fruits
food affordability
food prices
food consumption
liquidity
Ambler, Kate
Brouwer, Inge D.
de Brauw, Alan
Herskowitz, Sylvan
Mai, Truong Tuyet
Pastori, Giulia
Samuel, Folake
Shittu, Oluyemisi
Talsma, Elise F.
Vouchers to increase fruit affordability in Nigeria and Vietnam
title Vouchers to increase fruit affordability in Nigeria and Vietnam
title_full Vouchers to increase fruit affordability in Nigeria and Vietnam
title_fullStr Vouchers to increase fruit affordability in Nigeria and Vietnam
title_full_unstemmed Vouchers to increase fruit affordability in Nigeria and Vietnam
title_short Vouchers to increase fruit affordability in Nigeria and Vietnam
title_sort vouchers to increase fruit affordability in nigeria and vietnam
topic social protection
fruits
food affordability
food prices
food consumption
liquidity
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178555
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