The use of Cash Transfer (CT) programmes in developing regions arose as the understanding grew that some types of aid programmes were not effectively attaining their goals. For instance, emergency food aid was responding to famines, but it was unable to add to food stability. Over time, the persistently poor became ever more reliant on food aid. However, it is also noted that the value of cash transfers can also wear down significantly in a high inflation environment. Evidence gathered from large cash transfer programmes in Pakistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana, Malawi, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe has shown that successful CT programmes have put mechanisms in place to respond to inflationary pressures.
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