Participation in social safety net programs and household agricultural performance in Mali

This paper analyzes the impact of social safety net programs on the agricultural performance of households in Mali by identifying the determinants of program participation and agricultural income and the effect of this participation on agricultural income per hectare. The endogenous switching regression (ESR) model is applied to data from 2284 households drawn from Mali’s 2014 Living Standards Measurement Survey (LSMS). The results show a positive effect of program participation on agricultural income per hectare among households. Indeed, unlike nonparticipants, the beneficiaries of social safety net programs have additional agricultural income of 57,125 FCFA per hectare, with a less significant causal effect for nonparticipant households, which indicates a certain efficiency in targeting beneficiaries. Therefore, continuation of the program in its current form and its expansion will help enhance the effectiveness of agricultural development policies toward achieving food security and poverty reduction in furtherance of national development objectives.