USAID Office of Food for Peace Burkina Faso Bellmon ... - CiteSeerX

BEST ANALYSIS – BURKINA FASO
Prepared by Fintrac Inc.
6.4 GENERAL GUIDELINES TO HELP ENSURE PROPOSED FOOD AID PROGRAMS WILL
NOT RESULT IN PRODUCTION DISINCENTIVE OR MARKET DISRUPTION
6.4.1 Food For Work (FFW)
The intent of FFW is to create food-wage employment during the hunger period when rural
unemployment increases. The rise in unemployment results in lower rural incomes at precisely
the time of year when staple prices tend to spike because of food shortages in local markets.
FFW activities will vary, but often involve construction and maintenance of productive
community assets. Wage payments are generally made in-kind, as food rations rather than in
cash. If designed correctly, this practice can stabilize the price of staples in the market and
improve food consumption and nutrition of participating households. If designed and
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implemented appropriately, FFW can also increase productivity on semi-subsistence farms.
Key considerations to ensure Bellmon compliance of proposed FFW programs:
To encourage self-targeting, the income transfer value of the ration should be set at slightly less
than the prevailing rural wage and include slightly less preferred food aid commodities. If the
value of the FFW ration is too high, it can disrupt local labor markets by attracting more laborers
and the food may not benefit the most needy individuals, i.e., women and families. Inclusion of a
food used commonly in child feeding may also help in self-targeting women.
Timing of food distribution is critical. FFW commodity distribution will be less disruptive if
distributed during the lean season rather than during the harvest season. During the lean
period, rural households, especially the poorest, have little reserves of food from markets
because of high prices. By carefully timing FFW activities to coincide with the lean season, FFW
will maximize food security impact.
As mentioned earlier, the lean season in Burkina Faso is generally July to mid-
September/October, though there are important regional variations (i.e. a two to four week lag
for northern areas). The lean season is generally July – mid-September in the south, and July –
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early October in the north.
There must be sufficient supervisory capacity for any proposed FFW activities to minimize
possible leakages. Where warranted and possible, FFW should target female-headed
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households, as recent evidence suggests female-headed households are more vulnerable.
Prior to such targeting, awardees should investigate the availability of female labor during the
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Abdulai, A., C. B. Barrett, and J. Hoddinott. 2005. “Does food aid really have disincentive effects? New evidence
from sub-Saharan Africa.” World Development 33:10.
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The new FEWS NET seasonal calendar is expected to document these regional differences. Please see the
current FEWS NET seasonal calendar on page 5.
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ENIAM 2009.
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