The question of how social transfers should be indexed over time is a hot topic for social protection practitioners. A recent case from Bolivia reveals some of the issues at stake.

Source: http://www.pension-watch.net

Brasilia, May 16, 2013 –

Last week, on 1st May, Bolivia’s president Evo Morales marked Labour Day by announcing that the country’s universal non-contributory pension would be increased by 50 bolivanos per month. Since 2008, all Bolivians over the age of 60 have been eligible for the Renta Dignidad  (or “Dignity Pension”) which pays 200 bolivianos (US$30) per month to people with no other pension, and a reduced level of 150 bolivianos for those with other pension income. The pension evolved from an earlier scheme called the Bonosol, introduced in 1997, which had a higher age of eligibility (65) and was paid on an annual basis. These schemes have had significant impacts on the lives of older people and their families, particularly in terms of supporting rural livelihoods and reducing extreme poverty.

What does the increase mean?

On the face of it, the additional 50 bolivianos per month looks generous: an increase of 25 per cent. But deeper analysis suggests that the story is not so simple. Figure 1 shows how the benefit level has changed since social pension payments first began in 1997, with comparison to alternative scenarios. The blue line shows the actual monthly benefit for individuals who receive no other pension income. From the initial transfer of just over 100 bolivianos (and following a decrease in the late 90s) ad hoc changes have seen the benefit gradually rise to the 250 bolivianos announced last week. The pink line presents a scenario where the initial benefit in 1997 is indexed to changes in consumer prices, showing what payments would have looked like over the past 15 years if this approach had been taken. The orange line also takes the same starting point but indexes the benefit to average income (GDP per capita).

The picture is relatively clear. The similar paths of the blue and pink lines show that, since 1997, ad hoc increases every few years mean that the actual benefit level has more or less kept track with rising prices. The fact that the benefit has retained its real value means it could theoretically buy the same basket of goods as it did in 1997. However, the divergence between the paths of the orange and blue lines shows that the benefit has not kept pace with average incomes. From a high in 2002 (when the increase in the benefit to 150 bolivianos outstripped growth in average income), the newly proposed benefit is just two thirds of what it could have been had it been indexed to average income.

Bolivia can be commended for sustaining the real value of the benefit over the last decade or so, something that many other countries have not been able to do. Yet it has not been able to maintain the value relative to average incomes, particularly in recent years when growth has been strong. The new announcement of a 50 bolivianos increase in the Renta Dignidad is effectively catching up with inflation in previous years. In a country with one of the highest levels of inequality in the world, this can be seen as a lost opportunity to use the universal pension as a mechanism to redistribute gains from economic growth. This is also a distinct approach from other countries such as Brazil where social pensions are indexed to wages and have been an avenue for substantial reductions in income inequality.

Could Bolivia do better?

While a higher level of benefit would be preferable, the obvious retort is that there are major constraints in terms of affordability. This is particularly concerning for Bolivia as the Renta Dignidad is principally funded by a tax on natural gas, where price fluctuations in the international market can create significant uncertainty. But is rising cost a real concern? Figure 2 shows that from 2009 to 2011 the cost of the programme actually fell, from 1.4 to 1.1 per cent of GDP, and this is despite increasing numbers of beneficiaries over the same period. This saving of nearly 25 per cent was driven by the decrease in the real value of the benefit described above. In fact, our own estimates suggest that, even with the new benefit level, economic growth in the last two years means the newly increased benefit will still cost around 1.1 per cent of GDP in 2013. This suggests that there would be significant space to increase benefits further and still remain within the budget that was available to the scheme in 2009.

Recommendations

Figure 2

So what can policy makers and civil society take from this? The key conclusion is that the new benefit level is not a particularly generous gesture to Bolivian citizens. Instead, it represents a rather a modest effort to keep benefits in line with price inflation, while still saving money compared to 2009 spending. Two potential recommendations from this could be:

1. If Bolivia is able to save money while retaining real value of benefits, why doesn’t it put in place automatic indexing to prices on a regular basis? This would create far greater predictability for recipients of the pension. It would also create greater transparency about when an increase is a real generous gesture or, as with the current proposal, just keeping up with inflation.

2. Could Bolivia not invest more in the Renta Dignidad? By tagging spending on the pension to 2009 spending (as a per cent of GDP), the benefit would act as a way to redistribute the increased growth of the country, thus having an impact on reducing the high levels of inequality in Bolivia.

Sources

Vice-ministry of Pensions, Ministry of Economy and Finance (Bolivia), Monthly bulletins (January 2009, January 2010, January 2011)

Economic data from IMF, World Economic Outlook Database (April 2013),

Notes

Beneficiary numbers in Figure 2 are for the month of January. Total numbers are likely to be higher as not all beneficiaries receive the pension on a monthly basis. The general trend is nevertheless representative.

Cost is estimated using beneficiary numbers from January 2011.They do not include administrative costs.

For any more information on assumptions please contact info@pension-watch.net.

For further information see the following IPC-IG publications:

Three Models of Social Protection (reference to Bolivia’s cash transfer programmes)

Impacts of the Continuous Cash Benefit Programme on Family Welfare

A Methodology for Local Economy-Wide Impact Evaluation (LEWIE) of Cash Transfers

Analytical Framework for Evaluating the Productive Impact of Cash Transfer Programmes on Household Behaviour – Methodological Guidelines for the From Protection to Production Project

A Methodology for Local Economy-wide Impact Evaluation (LEWIE) of Cash Transfers

Can Social Protection Help Promote Inclusive Growth

This article is made available by the researchers of INCT-CITECS and published by the British magazine The Lancet

Foto: Bruno Spada/MDS

Newly published research assesses the relationship between the Bolsa Família Program (BFP) and the reduction in mortality among children below five years. The research, which focused on the study period between 2004 to 2009, aimed to evaluate the effect of BFP on the mortality rates of children under five years of age in select municipalities. The study focused on poverty-related causes such as malnutrition, diarrhea and respiratory infections, as well as some of the potential intermediate mechanisms, such as immunization, antenatal care and hospital admissions. Data from almost 3000 municipalities and advanced analytical methods were used.

According to the results of research published in The Lancet, Bolsa Familia has reduced the overall mortality of children in counties where coverage was high by approximately 17% . This reduction was even greater when specific mortality causes as malnutrition (65%) and diarrhea (53%) were taken into consideration. The Family Health Program (FHP) also contributed to the reduction of mortality in children under five years of age through a synergistic effect with the BFP. The explanation for the effect of BFP is that the rising incomes made possible by the transfer of benefits allows enhanced access to food and other goods related to health. These factors help in reducing household poverty, improving living conditions, and eliminating difficulties in access to health. Combined, these factors all contribute to reducing deaths among children.

The world has witnessed the proliferation of conditional cash transfer programmes similar to BFP in various developing countries. Thus there exists a significant international interest in better understanding the various impacts of this policy on issues such as public health. The results of the Brazilian study demonstrate that a small improvement in income may have a significant positive impact on infant mortality. The discoveries made through this study contribute to the understanding of social determinants on health and will certainly stimulate the adoption of similar policies in countries with significant rates of infant mortality and other social problems associated with poverty.

The research was conducted by Davide Rasella, Master in Community Health and Doctor of Public Health (ISC-UFBa) as part of his doctoral program at ISC and with the collaboration of Rosana Aquino, MD, MPH in Community Health and a PhD in Health Public (ISC-UFBa) and researcher at the ISC-UFBa; Antonio Carlos Santos de Souza Teles, Doctor of Public Health (ISC-UFBa), assistant professor at the State University of Feira de Santana and researcher ISC-UFBa; Romulo Paes-Sousa , PhD in Environmental Epidemiology (University of London), Center Coordinator Rio + for Sustainable Development, a partnership between UNDP and the Brazilian government, and research associate at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK. The team was led by Mauricio Lima Barreto, MD, MPH Community Health (UFBa), PhD in Epidemiology (University of London), Professor of Epidemiology Public Health Institute of the Federal University of Bahia, AI researcher of CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technology), and coordinator of inct-CITECS (multidisciplinary network of scientific research based in Bahia of international scope, focused on innovation, development and evaluation of health technologies) and a member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Sciences of Bahia.

To access the full article please click here.

The Lancet
First launched in 1823, the Lancet is one of the most important scientific publications in the world of healthcare. Headquartered in the UK, the Lancet was responsible for the disclosure of some of the most important medical advances in the past two centuries, such as those related to the principles of antiseptics by Joseph Lister (1867) with shock therapy Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (1918), the importance of penicillin (1940), the relationship between thalidomide and birth defects (1961), among others.

About IPC-IG
The International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG) is the global forum of the United Nations Program for Development (UNDP) in partnership with the Brazilian government to facilitate dialogue and South-South learning about innovative policies for inclusive growth. From its headquarters in Brasilia, the UNDP IPC-IG is dedicated to the promotion of knowledge between developing countries with the aim of formulating, implementing, and evaluating policies and programs that lead to a process of growth with social inclusion.

Brasilia – May 15, 2013

Source: Development Pathways UK

We are delighted to share the tenth in the series of ‘Pathways’ Perspectives’, papers that provide people with the opportunity to debate key issues in international development.

In the latest Pathways’ Perspective Senior Social Policy Specialist Nicholas Freeland writes about the myths of social protection.  The paper aims to dispel some of the more common myths about social security systems in developing countries. By clarifying two distinct ideologies, the neo-liberal ‘tea party’ approach to social protection and the universalist approach the paper takes each deadly sin and myth in turn.

The paper can be found on our website here.

You’ll also notice that Development Pathways has ‘revamped’ its website! Feel free to check it out at www.developmentpathways.co.uk. We welcome you to read and comment on the Perspective Blog, “Just KIDDing”, as well as peruse our social protection resource centre. 

Alternatively if you’d prefer a PDF copy, please email admin@developmentpathways.co.uk.

About the Author

Nicholas Freeland graduated from the esoterically-named ‘School of Arts and Humanities’ at Cambridge many years ago. This is the first time he has been able to combine the two disciplines in a single article.

About Development Pathways

We are a group of international development practitioners who specialise in the fields of social protection and social development, working with a range of development organisations and country governments across the developing world. Our aim is to provide creative and context-specific solutions to the social and economic policy challenges facing developing countries. We believe that policy and programming should be evidence-based and aligned to the political realities of countries, which may mean challenging prevailing orthodoxy to deliver the best policy and programme solutions.

Brasília – 3 May 2013

In recent years, nearly 40 million Brazilians have been incorporated into the middle class – those with a per capita income between R $ 291 and R $ 1,019 – a segment that now accounts for more than half of the country’s workers. This new configuration of the population brings a new dynamic to the economy and has direct effects on the socio-political relations of Brazil.

To better understand this phenomenon, the United Nations Development Programme in partnership with the Caixa Economica Federal and Strategic Affairs Secretariat (SAE) developed the publication “Voices of the New Middle Class.” This publication consists of bimonthly studies with information on the development, values, behavior and aspirations of the Brazilian middle class to subsidize the formulation of public policies directed to the sector.

The third edition of the publication, launched last Monday the 29^th, seeks to understand the entrepreneurial side of this portion of the population, with the theme “Entrepreneurship and the Middle Class.” The study focuses on the contribution of small entrepreneurs to the expansion and rise of the Brazilian middle class.

The following findings are highlighted in the publication and lead to the conclusion that progress is being made towards a more equitable society:

• Increase in available jobs
• Growth of the Brazilian working class
• Decrease in the income gap between employees in small enterprises and their employers

During the launch of the publication, the UNDP presented the results of the analysis about the profits of individual entrepreneurs and microentrepreneurs; wages of people employed in small businesses; rents divided by their families; risks and opportunities for social mobility, experienced according to their characteristics and profile of their enterprises. Small entrepreneurs, for example, account for 39% of total remuneration in the country, which exceeds R $ 500 billion. The study also points out the importance of small enterprises in the formal labor market and for sustainability. According to Marcelo Neri,  Interim Chief Minister of the Strategic Affairs Secretariat (SAE) of the Presidency of the Republic of Brazil and the President of the Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEA), the fuel behind the expansion of the middle class is not domestic consumption but rather the creation of job opportunities: “the great symbol of the new middle class is the ‘Portfolio of Work’ and labor rights.” The business of subsistence, in the words of Marcelo Neri, are being exchanged for formal jobs and businesses with greater potential for accumulation and growth. Of the six million jobs created by small business ventures between 2001 and 2011, 95% were formal.

Jorge Chediek, UNDP Resident Representative and Coordinator of the UN System in Brazil, argued that this middle class, fortunately, is rising, but it may become stagnant and even return to poverty. Therefore, according Chediek, the project’s goal is to “know the expectations, the vision of the middle class, not only through the studies generated from outside, but also through their views.” Chediek emphasizes that academic studies conducted with the middle class in Brazil should serve as an example for other developing countries, so that we can achieve “a global middle class.”

The third edition of “Voices of the Middle Class” is available here.

The video of the conference proceedings is available here.

Source: UNDP

Photo: ESCAP 2013

Brasília, 11 April 2013 –  Amidst widening income inequalities and depleting natural resources, the Asia-Pacific region is facing subdued growth in 2013. The United Nations Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2013 analyses a wide range of areas including economic growth, trade, inflation, employment, and labour migrations. The 2013 Survey will be presented at the Seminar “Asia and Brazil: Perspectives for Inclusive Growth” jointly organized by the Brazilian Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEA) and the International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on April 18^th, 9h am in Brasilia.

The Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific, the oldest and most comprehensive annual review of economic and social development in the region, analyses the short and medium-term challenges for the region and the outlook for the year ahead. The special theme of 2013 argues for a shift in the macroeconomic policy paradigm to achieve more inclusive and sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

You or your representatives are cordially invited to the launch of the 2013 ESCAP Survey. The report launch will be followed by a question and answer session.

What: Seminar “Asia and Brazil: Perspectives for Inclusive Growth” – Release of the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2013 in Brazil

Who: Mr. Claudio Hamilton dos Santos, Director of Macroeconomic Studies and Policies, the Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEA) 

Mr. Jorge Chediek, United Nations Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Brazil

When: Thursday, April 18, 2013 at 9 a.m.

Where: Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEA): SBS, Quadra 1, Edifício BNDES, Auditorium 16º floor – Brasília – DF, Brazil

Agenda

For further information about the Press Conference or to set up separate interviews, please contact:

Ms. Mariana Hoffmann
Communications Officer (IPC-IG)
T: (+ 55 61) 2105 5036
M: (+55 61) 81256469
E: mariana.hoffmann@ipc-undp.org

Ms. Lauren Core
Communications Assistant (IPC-IG)
T: (+ 55 61) 2105 5022
M: (+55 61) 92464645
E: lauren.core@ipc-undp.org

‘Ghana Child Ambassadors on youth radio show in Washington DC.’ Photo: Ubantu Village Inc./IPC-IG

Brasília, April 04, 2013 –  Friday April 5th marks 1000 days until the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are anticipated to be achieved. Momentum 1000 is a worldwide rally organized by the UNDP that aims to enhance cooperation and advocacy throughout the final leg towards achieving the MDGs.

The International Policy Center for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has published a number of publications related to better understanding how to achieve each of the eight MDGs. In line with this, the following IPC-IG publications apply a critical lens to the development framework presented by the MDGs:

Global Development Goal Setting as a Policy Tool for Global Governance: Intended and Unintended Consequences

MDGs: Misunderstood Targets?

Measuring MDG Achievements: Rate of Progress Matters Most

Achieving the Millennium Development Goals: A Measure of Progress

Towards an MDG-Consistent Debt Sustainability Concept

How Should MDG Implementation Be Measured: Faster Progress or Meeting Targets?

The MDGs and Beyond: Pro-Poor Policy in a Changing World

The aforecited IPC-IG publications serve to inform policymakers in advancing human development and to leverage policy research on inclusive growth in the pursuit of achieving the MDGs. The featured research attempts to address the key challenges presented by each MDG, ranging from development innovations to gender equality. The IPC-IG invites you to visit the following links provided below each MDG that may help critically inform efforts to improve lives around the world. In addition to relevant news and publications, each MDG is accompanied by illustrative photographs from the IPC-IG’s Humanizing Development Global Photography Campaign.

MDG 1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger 

Photo: ‘Humanizing Development Global Photography Campaign’/IPC-IG

Bolsa Família after Brasil Carinhoso: an Analysis of the Potential for Reducing Extreme Poverty

Analysing and Achieving Pro-Poor Growth

MDG 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education

Photo: ‘Humanizing Development Global Photography Campaign’/IPC-IG

Covariates of efficiency in education production among developing pacific-basin and Latin American countries

Social Innovation: Tackling Poverty through Home Grown School Meal Programmes

MDG 3: Promoting gender equality and empowering women

Photo: ‘Girls in the hairdressing class at Pro-Link Danfa School in Ghana’/Alice Wong of Canadian Crossroads International

Greening the Economy and Increasing Economic Equity for Women Farmers in Madagascar

The Implications of Water and Electricity Supply for the Time Allocation of Women in Rural Ghana

The Role of Gender Inequalities in Explaining Income Growth, Poverty and Inequality: Evidence from Latin American Countries

MDG 4: Reducing child mortality rates

Photo: Inter-American Social Protection Network (IASPN)

Monetary Transfers for Children and Adolescents in Argentina: Characteristics and Coverage of a “System” with Three Components

No Child Left Without: A Universal Benefit for Children in Brazil

MDG 5: Improving maternal health

Photo: ‘Humanizing Development Global Photography Campaign’/IPC-IG

Regression Discontinuity Impacts with an Implicit Index: Evaluating El Salvador’s Comunidades Solidarias Rurales Transfer Programme

IPC-IG Joins UNFPA on the 7 billion Actions Global Campaign

MDG 6: Combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other disease

Photo: ‘Humanizing Development Global Photography Campaign’/IPC-IG

Scaling-up HIV/AIDS Financing and the Role of Macroeconomic Policies in Kenya

Gearing macroeconomic polices to manage large inflows of ODA: The implications for HIV/AIDS programmes

The Macro-Micro Nexus in Scaling-Up Aid: The Case of HIV and AIDS Control in Kenya, Malawi and Zambia

MDG 7: Ensuring environmental sustainability

Photo: ‘Humanizing Development Global Photography Campaign’/IPC-IG

Raindrops for Education: How To Improve Water Access in Schools? 

Managing Resource-Dependence Amidst Opportunities and Challenges: Defining a New Sustainability Narrative for Caribbean Coastal Economies 

Low-Cost Technologies Towards Achieving the Millennium Development Goals: The Case of Rainwater Harvesting

MDG 8: Developing a global partnership for development 

Photo: ‘Humanizing Development Global Photography Campaign’/IPC-IG

South-South Cooperation for Inclusive Green Growth

South-South Cooperation in Times of Global Economic Crisis

China and The World: South-South Cooperation for Inclusive Green Growth

Domestic Housework Work

UN Women, the International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG) and the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) launch a study on the impacts of the adoption of the Proposed Amendment to the Constitution (PEC) for Domestic Houseworkers.

Brasília, April 02, 2013 – The Proposed Amendment to the Constitution (PEC) for Domestic Houseworkers intends to equalize the rights of employees to those of other domestic workers in Brazil. Although the PEC passed into the second round by the Brazilian senate in the past week and has been enacted today, the PEC still produces abundant controversy. In particular, one of the recurring issues of concern related to the formalization of domestic work is the increase in the cost of hiring domestic services. This cost increase may be problematic as it could lead to a reduction in demand, possibly resulting in massive layoffs and more informal work. On the other hand, the study supports the assertion that the PEC and the formalization of domestic work may correct a historical debt to millions of Brazilian women and generate economic growth for the country.

Entitled Impact of Welfare Changes in the Brazilian Market Home Services, the study anticipates this very debate and in so doing seeks to evaluate the direct effects of formalization of domestic work as well as the impacts triggered elsewhere in the economy. The research stimulates results from the consumption of households that rely on domestic work: an increase of approximately R 19 billion (USD 9.5 billion) in 2011 prices in the Brazilian GDP. Moreover, the generation of approximately 630,000 indirect jobs may be attributed to the increased income of domestic workers, mainly in the production of household appliances and related to health services.

The study was developed by Professor Edson Paulo Domingues and researcher Kenya Barreiro de Souza of the Center for Regional Planning and Development of Minas Gerais (Cedeplar) Federal University of Minas Gerais. The study is funded by UN Women under the Interagency Program for the Promotion of Gender Equality, Race, and Ethnicity with additional funding from the Fund for the Achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDG-F) of the Spanish government and developed in partnership with the International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Completed in 2012, the study is being published on April 1, 2013 by UN Women and the IPC-IG/UNDP.

Between 2005-2011 the demand for domestic labor remained stable in Brazil, according to the official employment statistics monthly, while the average salary for the category during this period increased by approximately 10% per year. The study shows that the gains in income at the bottom of the social pyramid generate benefits for the welfare of society as a whole and that the demand for domestic services remains stable even when there are increased costs of this type of work.

Click here to read the summary of the survey.

Click here to download the complete survey.

History and Methodology

Since late 2010, UN Women has harbored interest in conducting a study on the costs and benefits of formalization of domestic work in Brazil, mainly because one of the most cited arguments against the formalization of domestic work is that this could lead to more unemployment and increase economic stress.

The partnership with the International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG) was instrumental in the research of concern. The IPC-IG in Brazil is a global forum for the UNDP South-South cooperation, whose objective is to produce and disseminate studies and policy recommendations for inclusive growth from innovative experiences in developing countries.

During the preparatory discussions for the research, the idea of using a dynamic general equilibrium model was suggested as a useful economic tool. This suggestion may be due to the fact that this model may allow for the construction of simulations and may also help conduct an analysis of the macroeconomic multiplier effects changes in the costs of domestic labor.

Thus, in an innovative manner, the research uses a general equilibrium model that is adapted to social and economic computational simulations. Several countries currently use this model; however its use is concentrated mainly in studies of international trade and transportation. The model was only recently introduced into studies related to social analysis.

“The survey also provides an economic justification for the ratification of the Convention on Decent Work for domestic workers and workers of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 189. This adds to the efforts of UN Women to promote the importance of decent work agenda based on values of social justice. UN Women has been working closely with the ILO, especially by supporting organizations of domestic workers in their demands for labor rights,” says Rebecca Tavares, representative of UN Women in Brazil.

UN Women walks with civil society and governments to build societies that seek to establish gender equality and women’s empowerment in all of its spheres. We hope that this research is relevant to the discussion on the formalization of domestic work in the country and that it will also help to foster ideas and solutions that promote the social inclusion of all members of Brazilian society.

‘A farmer harvests sorghum.’ Source: Fred Noy, UN Photo

Brasília, March 27, 2013 – The International Policy Center for Inclusive Growth hosted a 10-day E-discussion between February 10^th and March 4^th on the topic of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) with support from the UK Department for International Development. The discussion attempted to address the key tensions that exist at the intersection of climate change and agriculture in Africa, particularly emphasizing ‘climate-smart’ solutions. In so doing, the e-discussion yielded critical information from a portfolio of sources as well as strategies for improving CSA. The e-discussion also afforded the opportunity for diverse actors involved in climate change and agriculture across the world to engage in debate through an innovative online platform: a Google Groups.

Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) is an approach to farming that aspires to support smallholders through risk-averse and environmentally sensitive agricultural practices. As the world is experiencing increasingly erratic weather patterns due to a changing global climate, efforts to enhance agricultural resilience are of critical importance. Investing in knowledge for smallholders may not only inform debates on social protection but may also improve the knowledge base for food security and climate change adaptations.

A follow-up to  a seminar on the ‘Role of South-South Cooperation in Agricultural Development in Africa’ held in Brasilia on 17 May 2012,  the e-discussion aimed to continue in this vein of policy and research related to knowledge innovation around sustainable agriculture and climate change. The e-discussion involved more than 60 participants from a range of institutions with differing professional and academic backgrounds, such as federal government representatives and farmers. It facilitated greater engagement and discourse between civil society actors on South-South Cooperation. Participants were also afforded the opportunity to offer practical and hands-on experiences to complement the more theoretical discussion.

The e-discussion sought to inform ongoing debates on CSA while recognizing the particular relevance for Brazil-Africa agricultural cooperation. In particular, the discussion set out to “deepen the conversation with civil society and organizations that represent small farmers, as well as individuals researching small farmer issues.” As such, the debate was structured around the following three objectives:

• Objective 1: To understand the value of climate-smart agriculture for smallholder farming 
• Objective 2: To serve as a platform for knowledge sharing on climate-smart agricultural innovations in the South
• Objective 3: To promote a gendered approach to climate-smart agriculture.

The resulting knowledge product, entitled Climate Smart Agriculture in Africa, is a report that provides a broad based overview of CSA policies as well as nuanced and practical examples from the field. It highlights areas of contention as well as consensus with respect to best practices and key challenges. Compellingly, original case studies as well as newly available literature are identified.

The DFID and the IPC-IG in Brazil aspire to continue cultivating a meaningful dialogue related to adaptation and initiatives for climate change. Stay tuned for a separate evidence paper on Climate Smart Agriculture that will be made available in the near future by the IPC-IG. The e-discussion served as an innovative avenue of knowledge cooperation that will inform the evolution of climate smart agriculture policy and practice in Africa and beyond.

Summaries in English and Portuguese are now available on the IPC-IG website.

Source: IPC 819 and IPC 812, DFID 

Take a closer look at research on food security, climate change and inclusive growth through the following IPC-IG publications:

Market Alternatives for Smallholder Farmers in Food Security Initiatives: Lessons from the Brazilian Good Acquisition Programme

Public Support to Food Security in India, Brazil and South Africa: Elements for a Policy Dialogue

Providing Incentives to Women Farmers for Sustainable Food Production

Food Security Policy Context in Brazil

Integrating Public Works and Cash Transfers in Ethiopia: Implications for Social Protection, Employment and Decent Work

‘Recipients of the Bolsa Famila Programme’ Source: Bruno Spada/MDS

On March 18, the Minister of Social Development and Fight Against Hunger (MDS) Tereza Campello said that the funds invested by the Brazilian government in the Bolsa Familia programme reached 0.46% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2012. According to MDS data, the budget for the programme reached USD $ 10.7 billion last year. This amount invested in Bolsa Familia is expected to rise to USD $ 12.3 billion by the end of 2013. “The amount spent on Bolsa Familia in Brazil is nothing,” said Yoshiaki Nakano, the Director of the School of Economics of São Paulo’s Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV) who was with Minister Teresa Campello shortly after she delivered the 2013 inaugural lecture at the SP school.

Nakano conveyed information about his experience working with the economic department for the supermarket chain Pao de Acucar in 1979: “One day, the chain’s CEO Abilio Diniz asked me how much would need to spend to end poverty in Brazil…I did my calculations, and at that time it would take something between 1% and 1.5% of GDP.”

According to Minister Tereza Campello, Bolsa Familia currently serves a population of 50 million people and data from the Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEA) indicates that Bolsa Familia is very effective as the programme succeeded in reducing extreme poverty by 89% in Brazil. “We are exporting this social technology to other countries without reimbursement, as our purchase of ethanol,” said Minister Campello. “We have no budget problems. On the contrary, the Ministry of Finance has made the resources we need available to meet the priorities of President Dilma Rousseff’s government,” she said while smiling at the Secretary of Economic Policy, Márcio Holland.

Extreme poverty

The minister pointed out that there are still approximately 700 thousand families in Brazil who live in extreme poverty (i.e. extreme poverty is considered to be those with a per capita income of less than USD 35.00 per month). “By the end of the mandate of President Dilma Rousseff, our objective is to ensure that almost 2.5 million people may benefit from the Bolsa Familia program,” said Tereza Campello to Estadao.

According to the minister, it is very difficult to find families living in conditions of extreme poverty. “They’re not in the rural areas, rather they are in the big cities at points so distant that they cannot have access to information about the programme,” she said.

According to the Ministry of Social Development and Fight Against Hunger, 22 million families enrolled in Family Grant lived in extreme poverty. That number has been reduced over the two years of the Dilma government and now there no single family enrolled in the program that is still in this condition.

“Now we are looking after them. If there are 700 thousand, 650 thousand and 600 thousand families, field work will help us reach out to the families,” said the minister.

Source: Estado de S. Paulo

The IPC-IG has extensively researched the impacts of Bolsa Familia in Brazil and this month the IPC-IG launched a Policy Research Brief (PRB) on Bolsa Família after Brasil Carinhoso: an Analysis of the Potential for Reducing Extreme Poverty

Read more about social policy and inclusive growth in the following publications:

Brazil explains flagship programme to eradicate extreme poverty by 2014

Bolsa Familia as Seen Through the Lens of the Decent Work Agenda

Assessment of the Implications of the Bolsa Família Programme for the Decent Work Agenda

Integrating Public Works and Cash Transfers in Ethiopia: Implications for Social Protection, Employment and Decent Work

The Consolidation of Social Assistance Policy in Brazil

How Effective are the Non-monetary Components of CCT Programs?

Three Models of Social Protection

 

‘Delegation from Senegal Discusses Social Protection and Policies’ Source: IPC-IG/Lauren Core

A delegation from Senegal comprised of political leaders and United Nations representatives convened at the IPC-IG/UNDP on March 18, 2013 to better understand the successes of social protection policies in Brazil. The Senegalese delegation is visiting Brazil to attend the International Seminar on Social Policy for Development offered by the Brazilian Ministry of Social Development and Fight Against Hunger (MDS) (more information in Portuguese available here). The MSD seminar provides the opportunity for policymakers from different countries to come together and collectively exchange ideas for poverty alleviation.

In addition to the Senegalese representatives, leaders from other countries in Latin America, Asia, and Africa have arrived for the MDS conference. An Ethiopian delegation will also be received by the World Food Programme Center for Excellence Against Hunger upon completion of the MDS conference.

The meeting at the IPC-IG involved the discussion of issues such as the type of conditions involved in cash transfer programmes and the key challenges of implementing large-scale social protection initiatives. The Senegalese delegation strategized ways to develop strategies to fight poverty and hunger, keeping in mind the unique challenges facing Senegal. In addition to the MDS conference and technical meetings, foreign delegations are attending field trips to study sites to gain first-hand experience about the impacts of social protection policies in Brazil.

Upon completion of the visit to Brazil, it is envisioned that the Senegalese representatives will have the opportunity to build context-specific social protection policies that emulate the successes of the Brazilian case. In particular, programmes such as Bolsa Familia and Brazil Without Extreme Poverty Plan may serve as exemplar for the design and implementation of social protection programmes. Cooperation agreements may also be drafted that promote South-South knowledge sharing. The global dialogue that began with the IPC-IG visitation will not cease following the visit but rather will continue through knowledge cooperation related to social policies.

Read more publications related to social policy and protection in French:

Support à la production alimentaire et à l´accès à la nourriture via des achats publics locaux : les leçons du Brésil

Les Programmes de Transfert Monétaire Assorti de Conditions Sont-ils Viables Dans les Pays à Faible Revenu ?

Programmes Sociaux de Transferts D’espèces en Zambie : Quel en est L’impact ?

Les Pays à Faible Revenu Peuvent-ils Adopter des Politiques Anticycliques ?

Un seul Instrument Pour Plusieurs Cibles : Le Défi Posé par la Politique Macroéconomique du Timor-Leste

Les leçons de la crise de l’électricité en Afrique du Sud