Tradeoffs or Synergies? Assessing Local and Regional Food Aid Procurement Through Case Studies in Burkina Faso and Guatemala

14 Pages Posted: 10 Jul 2015 Last revised: 21 Jul 2015

See all articles by Aurélie Harou

Aurélie Harou

Cornell University - School of Applied Economics and Management

Joanna Upton

Cornell University

Christopher B. Barrett

Cornell University - Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics & Management

Miguel I. Gómez

Cornell University - Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management

Erin Lentz

University of Texas at Austin - Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs

Date Written: September 1, 2013

Abstract

We compare the impacts across a range of criteria of local and regional procurement (LRP) relative to transoceanic shipment of food aid in Burkina Faso and Guatemala. We find that neither instrument dominates the other across all criteria in either country, although LRP commonly performs at least as well as transoceanic shipment with respect to timeliness, cost, market price impacts, satisfying recipients’ preferences, food quality and safety, and in benefiting smallholder suppliers. LRP is plainly a valuable food assistance tool, but its advantages and disadvantages must be carefully weighed, compared, and prioritized depending on the context and program objectives.

Keywords: farmer based organizations, food aid, food assistance, response analysis, school feeding, local and regional procurement, smallholder farmers, Burkina Faso; Guatemala

Suggested Citation

Harou, Aurélie and Upton, Joanna and Barrett, Christopher B. and Gómez, Miguel I. and Lentz, Erin, Tradeoffs or Synergies? Assessing Local and Regional Food Aid Procurement Through Case Studies in Burkina Faso and Guatemala (September 1, 2013). World Development, 2013, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2628760

Aurélie Harou

Cornell University - School of Applied Economics and Management ( email )

248 Warren Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
United States

Joanna Upton

Cornell University ( email )

Ithaca, NY 14853
United States

Christopher B. Barrett (Contact Author)

Cornell University - Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics & Management ( email )

315 Warren Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853-7801
United States
607-255-4489 (Phone)
607-255-9984 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://aem.cornell.edu/faculty_sites/cbb2/

Miguel I. Gómez

Cornell University - Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management ( email )

Erin Lentz

University of Texas at Austin - Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs ( email )

2300 Red River St., Stop E2700
PO Box Y
Austin, TX 78713
United States

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
56
Abstract Views
586
Rank
664,767
PlumX Metrics