The influence of large scale land acquisition on smallholder farming productivity - the case of Zambia

Abstract

This paper utilizes household level panel data from Zambia to analyze the impact of a LSLA on small holder farmers’ productivity, differentiated by male and female-owned farms. Our results suggest that while LSLA is not a significant determinant of smallholder agricultural productivity overall, female-headed households seem to gain a moderate productivity increase. There is also evidence of beneficial spillover effects in terms of technology use, with increase in modern seed use as a result of LSLA (but not on fertilizer use or crop diversification). However, the results do not show significant gender-differentiated impacts of LSLA neither on technological spillover, nor on tenure security. In sum, while LSLA seems to benefit women overall, the two potential avenues through which LSLA affects men and women differently-technological spillover and tenure insecurity, do not seem to have gender-based impacts.