It is now well recognized that high economic growth is not sufficient to rid the world of hunger and food security. In times of rapid economic growth, many households are left behind due to lack of health, education, and social and economic resources. For these households, specifically targeted safety net and social protection programs are needed to offer both short- and long-term routes out of poverty. Effective interventions must address not only the poverty dimension of the problem (e.g., through cash or in-kind transfers), but must also address investments in human capital (usually health, education, and nutrition) to improve the future income-earning potential of these households.

The primary focus of this research program is to provide information on the appropriate design, implementation, and evaluation of targeted government interventions aimed at increasing the welfare of poor households, particularly from the perspective of food security and nutrition.

The Large-Scale Interventions research program aims to help policymakers and NGOs:

• better understand the causes of poverty
• improve the quality and impacts of interventions to reduce poverty in both short and long term
• analyze political and institutional factors that affect feasibility and performance
• use best practices to evaluate and compare various interventions, and
• build capacity for design and implementation of interventions.