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Field
Trial Title
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Before
Does Improving Destination Food Security Increase Migration? Experimental Evidence from the Indian Public Distribution System
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After
Does Food Insecurity Hinder Migration? Experimental Evidence from the Indian Public Distribution System
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Trial Status
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Before
in_development
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After
on_going
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Field
Abstract
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Before
Many developing-economy labor markets feature persistent spatial gaps in real income, which are substantial even after accounting for workers’ skills. This suggests that labor mobility is too low to capture the economic benefits of migration. A possible explanation is that migration is risky, particularly for poor households. Social protection programs thus have the potential to facilitate migration by easing financial constraints. We study the Public Distribution System (PDS) in India, which entitles 66% of the population to subsidized food grain. We randomly inform a representative set of around 62,000 beneficiary households across 18 Indian states about a recent scheme to allow migrants to collect food ration across the country, rather than being restricted to a PDS shop in their hometown. Data we collected prior to the experiment show that awareness of the program is extremely low. We will test whether learning about ration portability increases migration and improves economic well-being.
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After
People may avoid migrating if they cannot insure themselves against the risk of a bad outcome. Governments can reduce the consumption risk faced by migrants by allowing them to access social protection programs in the destination. We randomly informed around 62,000 households across 18 Indian states about a new program allowing migrants to collect their food ration across the country, together with information about practical barriers to using the program. Four months later, treated households held lower beliefs about food ration portability, and were less likely to migrate to cities. Our findings indicate that food insecurity risk reduces urban migration.
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Trial End Date
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Before
June 30, 2023
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After
December 31, 2023
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Last Published
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Before
December 19, 2022 08:14 AM
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After
June 28, 2023 10:11 AM
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Intervention (Public)
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Before
Our intervention involves a single treatment group and a control group. Households in our treatment group will be read a script during the CMIE survey. The intervention will be delivered during surveys lasting from October to December 2021. The script includes basic information about the ONORC scheme, including that their ration allowance is portable across district and state lines, information on which states have joined the ONORC program by the time of the survey, information on the documents required to claim ration outside of their designated PDS shop, and information on government offices responsible for resolving ration access issues and the phone number of a government helpline dedicated to ration portability. The script will be read by a CMIE enumerator, and an information sheet will be left with the respondent. We will also provide these households with access to an information hotline, which they can call to obtain local information (phone numbers and/or addresses) on ration shops across 29 states. We processed and uploaded individual ration shop information to Mapbox and Google Earth so that hotline staff can search for ration shops within or near the caller’s locality of interest. The hotline will be staffed by research assistants, who can also answer basic questions about ration portability. Hotline access will last for 5 months after the beginning of the intervention (from October 2021 to March 2022).
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After
Households in our treatment group were read a script during the baseline survey. The script included basic information about the ONORC scheme, including that their ration allowance is portable across district and state lines; information on which states had joined the ONORC program by the time of the survey; information on the documents required to claim ration outside of their designated PDS shop; several caveats about practical barriers to using ONORC; and information on government offices responsible for resolving ration access issues and the phone number of a government helpline dedicated to ration portability. The script was read by an enumerator, and an information sheet was left with the respondent. In cases where respondents had clarifying or follow-up questions, enumerators were instructed to answer them if possible or to direct the respondent to our information hotline if not. All respondents were provided access to an information hotline which they could call to obtain local information (phone numbers and/or addresses) on ration shops across 29 states. We processed and uploaded individual ration shop information to Mapbox and Google Earth so that hotline staff could search for ration shops within or near the caller’s locality of interest. The hotline was staffed by research assistants, who could also answer basic questions about ration portability. Hotline access lasted for 5 months after the beginning of the intervention (from October 2021 to March 2022). Households in the control group did not receive the script, sheet, or hotline access.
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Field
Additional Keyword(s)
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Before
migration, social protection, risk, credit constraints
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After
urban migration, risk, social protection, food security
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