This paper documents patterns of public spending on food security-related sectoral outcomes and undertakes a results-based assessment of food security expenditures. The assessment is based on expected outputs and outcomes according to the four dimensions of food security: availability, accessibility, utilization, and stability. Our review finds that programs have evolved over the past decades, with an initial emphasis on food availability, focused on rice. From the 1990s onward, nutrition-sensitive, nutrition-specific, and social protection interventions became standard in food security. Nonetheless, agricultural development programs focused on domestic food availability continue to dominate budget allocation, particularly for input subsidies, irrigation, and farm-to-market roads. While significant progress has been made in improving food availability and accessibility, persistent gaps in utilization, stability, and equity continue to limit the overall effectiveness of interventions. Moreover, the thrust of agricultural development strategies over the past decades has largely failed to address the underlying problems of the agrifood system. Social protection and nutrition programs are also plagued by inefficiencies associated with large-scale implementation and decentralization. To address these during a time of urgent fiscal consolidation, the paper concludes with several recommendations related to budget allocation as well as institutional and and policy reforms.
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