Agricultural input subsidies have often been promoted as the solution to target food
insecurity. This paper aims to investigate the impact of the National Agricultural
Input Subsidy (NAIVS) on small-scale farmers in Tanzania particularly, for household
food security, while investigating if the programme had any differential impact on
female-headed households.
On examining the general impact of the NAIVS on small-scale farmers, it is clear that
the programme did affect food-security at the household level. Literacy also had a
significant impact on household food-security and in terms of production.
In terms of the specific impact of the programme on female-headed households,
beneficiary female-headed households preferred spending more on education, birth
control and family planning.They were also more food-secure and consumed more
meals on an average, while the non-beneficiary households preferred spending more
on food -- suggesting a lack of food self-sufficiency. However this cannot be attributed
the input subsidy alone and needs further research.
This paper aims to inform policy-making around agricultural input subsidies and its
impacts on female headed households.
