The impact of remittances during the COVID-19 pandemic on household food insecurity in Benin

Combating food insecurity remains one of the primary objectives of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the 2030 horizon. However, crises as COVID-19 pandemic can jeopardize food security achievements. Thus, remittances constitute a way for households to smooth food consumption during a crisis. This study analyses the remittances received during the COVID-19 impact on food insecurity intensity in Benin. The study used data from a sample of 815 households collected by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) during the COVID-19. Endogenous Treatment Poisson Regression (ETPR) was applied to analyze the data. The outcomes reveal that age, sex, marital status and having a farmer in the household are the main determinants of remittances. Age, sex, marital status, and education level significantly influence household intensity of being food insecure. Moreover, the average treatment effect (ATE) and the average treatment on the treated (ATT) outcomes show that households suffer 2.054 times and 4.739 times less food insecurity, respectively, when they receive any money transfers from third parties to address the COVID-19 crisis. The results suggest that remittances serve as a crucial coping mechanism to address the COVID-19 adverse impact on food security. This underscores the significance of considering remittances as a supplementary measure to mitigate food insecurity, as they offer additional income.