Social Protection and Rural Transformation in Africa

This article develops a conceptual framework on pathways through which noncontributory social protection can support resilient and inclusive agricultural growth in rural Africa. It draws insights from a review of rigorous empirical evidence on the impacts of cash transfers and multifaceted cash plus programs on a range of relevant productive outcomes, including accumulation of productive assets, inputs and farm management practices, off-farm labor and nonfarm enterprises, and farm production and income. This review demonstrates an emerging consensus in the literature: that access to social protection programs contributes positively to increasing the productive asset holdings of rural people, increasing the use of improved inputs and farm practices, and shifting away from casual wage labor arrangements. Moreover, there is limited evidence on heterogeneous effects across different baseline characteristics (income, sex, and labor-constrained households, among others). Finally, the article highlights how social protection programs should be considered an integral part of broader rural and agricultural development strategies in order to achieve a more productive, resilient, and equitable rural transformation in Africa.