Tracing feeding programme drop-outs

Supplementary feeding programmes have been used as one outlet for the food aid which is sent to developing nations. In the November 1978 issue of Food Policy, Simon Maxwell analyzed the costs and benefits of supplementary feeding projects, in terms of both nutritional and non nutritional results.¹ In considering the importance of such results, trie rate and health status of programme drop-outs can significantly affect conclusions. An exercise demonstrating the differences in results, depending on assumptions about dropouts, is presented here for a World Food Programme (WFP) feeding project in Mexico.