Rice-aquaculture systems and dietary quality in Bangladesh

Fariha Farjana, Thanh Tung Nguyen and Matin Qaim

No 348394, Discussion Papers from University of Bonn, Center for Development Research (ZEF)

Abstract: Rice-aquaculture is promoted in many countries as a system that could simultaneously improve land and water productivity and household diets and nutrition. However, studies evaluating the effects of rice-aquaculture adoption on household diets do not yet exist. Here, we address this research gap, using data from a survey of 720 households in rural Bangladesh and different statistical techniques to control for possible selection bias. Contrary to expectations, our data suggest that adopting rice-aquaculture is associated with a decrease in household dietary quality, especially during the agricultural lean season. Households with young household heads, low education levels, and small landholdings are over-proportionally affected. We also analyze possible mechanisms of these unexpected negative diet effects. Households adopting rice-aquaculture spend much more time on farming, leaving less time for cooking, other domestic tasks, and certain off-farm activities. Adopters have lower crop and livestock production diversity, lower income from forest extraction activities, and higher debts than non-adopters. Our findings suggest that policies to promote the adoption of riceaquaculture should consider the broader effects on household livelihoods and provide sufficient support in order to avoid undesirable social outcomes.

Keywords: Agricultural and Food Policy; Consumer/Household Economics; Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024-12-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr, nep-dev and nep-env
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:ubzefd:348394

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.348394

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