Non-cash food assistance and household food security: Evidence from remote Indonesia

Purpose ― This study aims to evaluate the impact of Indonesia’s Non-Cash Food Assistance Program (BPNT) on household consumption and food security in Sabu Raijua, a remote region in Indonesia with limited food access.Methods ― The Propensity Score Matching (PSM) with kernel techniques is employed to estimate the BPNT program’s effects on household expenditure, caloric intake, and food insecurity using data from 536 households in Sabu Raijua, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.Findings ― The results indicate that the BPNT program had a limited effect on household spending, nutrition, and food security. Beneficiary households spent slightly more on food and non-food items, showed minor improvements in nutritional intake, and were less likely to face food shortages, though concerns about food adequacy persisted.Implications ― The findings suggest that while BPNT helps alleviate food insecurity, further improvements in program implementation are needed to enhance its overall impact on household welfare.Originality ― This research provides critical insights into the effectiveness of BPNT in a remote region with unique socioeconomic challenges that have not been subject to empirical study, highlighting the challenges and opportunities for improving non-cash food assistance programs in similar contexts.