Essays on economic development

Abstract

This article aims to identify the effect of the Brazilian conditional cash transfer program (Programa Bolsa Família - PBF) on the food condition of children in beneficiary families. We analyzed the effects of the BFP on the following outcome variables: (i) Energy in Kcal; (ii) Energy in KJ; (iii) Carbohydrates; (iv) Proteins; and (v) Lipids. We used microdata from the Household Budget Survey of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) for the period between 2017 and 2018. We applied the ordinary least squares method for complex samples (Ordinary Least Square Survey) and the matching methods (Propensity Score Weighting and Propensity Score Matching), adjusting for the complex data structure. We performed as robustness strategies: the placebo test, analysis for heterogeneous effects in the country's macro-regions and urban areas. The results show that the program positively affects the average consumption of macronutrients by children in beneficiary households, with these effects concentrated in the north and northeast regions of Brazil.