Ghana: Farmer support activity, Impact Evaluation

The World Food Programme in Ghana launched the Farmer Support Activity (FSA) in April 2023, providing mobile cash transfers to more than 17,000 smallholder farmers. The programme also provided financial and agricultural training, facilitated connections to access agricultural inputs, and promoted sustainable practices to boost agricultural productivity. 

While cash transfers are widely recognized for improving food security, consumption, and well-being, there is limited evidence, especially in humanitarian settings, on how the design of transfer size, frequency, and timing could help meet the needs of households more effectively and create additional value given limited resources. 

WFP’s Office of Evaluation, with support from USAID, partnered with the World Bank’s Development Impact (DIME) Department to conduct a rigorous impact evaluation that compares two transfer modalities within the FSA framework: lump-sum payments vs. three equal instalments during the lean season. The total transfer size was held constant across the two groups.