Impact of Legume Technologies on Food Security: Evidence from Zambia
DOWNLOADDecember 1, 2016 - Christine M. Sauer, Nicole M. Mason, Mywish K. Maredia and Rhoda Mofya-Mukaka
Christine M. Sauer, Nicole M. Mason, Mywish K. Maredia and Rhoda Mofya-Mukaka. 2016. Impact of Legume Technologies on Food Security: Evidence from Zambia. Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research Paper 36. East Lansing: Michigan State University
ABSTRACT
Despite the many potential benefits of legume cultivation, there is scarce empirical evidence on whether and how producing legumes affects smallholder farm households’ food security. We use nationally representative household panel survey data from Zambia to estimate the differential effects on cereal-growing households of incorporating legumes into their farms via cereal-legume intercropping, cereal-legume rotation, and other means. Results suggest that cereal-legume rotation is positively and significantly associated with households’ months of adequate food provisions, and calorie and protein production. In contrast, cereal-legume intercropping generally has no statistically significant effect on the indicators of food security of Zambian smallholders.