How does agricultural transformation affect the household food self-sufficiency of smallholders in the upper Mekong region, Southwest China?

Cong Pan (), Shi Min () and Hermann Waibel ()
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Cong Pan: Huazhong Agricultural University
Shi Min: Huazhong Agricultural University
Hermann Waibel: Leibniz Universität Hannover

Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, 2025, vol. 17, issue 1, No 13, 255 pages

Abstract: Abstract This study investigates the household food self-sufficiency of smallholders in the upper Mekong region of Southwest China, where traditional self-sufficient farming has rapidly transformed into a commercialized economy. Using household survey data from 945 smallholders in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, the study employs a two-stage Tobit model to estimate the impact of agricultural transformation on the household food self-sufficiency of smallholders. The results, which are based on 2018 data, reveal that the average self-sufficiency rate for all foods was 40.7%, and that of grain was even lower at 33.4%. Changes in land use, specifically the substitution of food crops with cash crops, and labor allocation, namely, engagement in off-farm labor markets, are the main drivers of the reduction in household food self-sufficiency. A 10% increase in the share of cash crops results in a 4.2% decrease in the rate of household food self-sufficiency, whereas adding one additional crop to the portfolio leads to a 6.4% increase. Moreover, households with at least one family member engaging in off-farm labor have a 13.1% lower self-sufficiency rate than those without. This study contributes to a better understanding of the household food self-sufficiency of smallholders in the context of land use change and rising off-farm employment, while the findings provide a reference for policy design to ensure household food security for smallholders in the upper Mekong region.

Keywords: Food self-sufficiency; Food security; Agricultural transformation; Land use; Off-farm employment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s12571-024-01498-1

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