While fighting hunger in poor nations often involves charities handing out food, a better plan is to provide cash to families, which allows them to make their own choices about what they eat, writes Jasmine Whitbread, chief executive of Save the Children UK.

The practice has not become widespread in part because some donors are concerned that beneficiaries would spend the money to pay for items other than food. In a blog post on AlertNet, a Web site that focuses on humanitarian issues, Ms. Whitbread disputes this claim.

“All the evidence shows that not only do poor people spend their money sensibly but that the first, and often most substantial, investment they make is to buy more and better quality food for their children. This system has a direct impact on the health of their families,” she writes.

Save the Children UK recently co-produced a half-hour television documentary about how cash handouts benefit needy families in places like Ethiopia, as well as in rich areas like Wales. The show, Running on Empty, will appear on BBC World this fall.

What do you think? Should more antihunger programs provide cash instead of food? Share your thoughts by clicking on the comments link below this post.