Two-tiered evaluation of Africare's PL480 program in Guinea-Bissau : food security impacts of the monetization process, and of the activities of the Tombali Region Rural Associations supported by the sale proceeds

480 Title II program in Guinea-Bissau. The evaluation, which covers the period 1991-94, addresses the impact on food security of (1) the process by which Title II food commodities are monetized through direct sales to local traders; and (2) the use of local currency generated by the sales to support Tombali Region Rural Associations under the Tombali Sustainable Rural Initiatives Project (TSRIP). The most important conclusion is that monetization of Title II commodities is having a double impact: getting food to the target population more effectively than other mechanisms, and generating funds for potentially food security-enhancing activities at the local level. By filling in gaps in the food supply system, monetized P.L. 480 wheat flour and vegetable oil is helping to stabilize the system and improving food security for rural and urban consumers alike. And because the marketing chain in Guinea-Bissau is relatively short, the food reaches the consumer without excessive markup or price inflation. It is recommended that, despite requests from wholesalers for smaller drums or prepackaged cooking oil, the current practice of shipping cooking oil in barrels be continued, as it allows retailers to dispense oil in very small quantities which poorer households can afford. Also, delivery schedules should keep in mind cyclical demand, and a diversification of commodities, possibly to include millet, should be considered. Finally, it is recommended that Africare look at ways in which the P.L. 480 program could be used to effect national-level policy changes to improve food security. While food security for most households in the Tombali region has improved in recent years, at least in terms of access to external food sources and expanding markets for local products, such improvements are probably not attributable to the TSRIP, but to other factors such as market and price reforms under the structural adjustment program, and recent road construction which has expanded access. While the project-assisted associations have played a role in expanding opportunities for producing and marketing crops, the fact is that many of these associations predate Africare's involvement. Also, food security, though improved, is still very poor, with all villages experiencing a "hungry season" during the rains and child mortality and malnutrition still very high. The TSRIP is well positioned to have a positive impact on food security in its next phase; the key will be implementation of an expanded small-scale rural credit scheme. A series of recommendations are made to simplify loan procedures, establish clear repayment schedules, and strengthen contractual agreements between Association members.