THE EFFECTS OF MONETIZED FOOD AID ON REPRODUCTIVE-BEHAVIOR IN RURAL HONDURAS

This article presents research findings on the question of whether the monetization of non-emergency food aid has adversely influenced natio nal family planning program efforts in Honduras. Women receiving food aid in the form of cash coupons are compared in the study with women r eceiving food rations and a third group of women with similar characte ristics who were not food aid recipients on three types of outcomes: r ecent fertility, fertility preferences, and contraceptive use. The hea lth facilities where study subjects received health/family planning se rvices and food aid benefits were also compared to assess possible adv erse cross-program effects on family planning service delivery. A 'sam ple selection' model was used in the analysis to control for unobserve d differences between comparison groups. No compelling evidence for ad verse demand- or supply-side effects of monetized food aid on family p lanning efforts was observed. The most striking study finding was the extremely high level of unmet need for family planning.