Crop diversification, productivity and dietary diversity

Purpose of the article: The study was conducted to provide empirical evidence on crop diversification, productivity and dietary diversity of male and female-headed farming households in Nigeria. This has policy implications on development of inclusive and efficient agrifood system towards achieving the SDGs of eradicating poverty, hunger and gender equality.
Methods: Secondary data from the 2015/16 Living Standard Measurement Survey-Integrated Survey on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) was used for this study. Tobit regression model was employed to investigate the factors influencing crop diversification and dietary diversity while Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition method was used to decompose gender differentials in agricultural productivity.
Findings and value added: Crop diversification index of male farmers is 0.10 (P<0.05) higher than female farmers. The Tobit regression results showed that farm income, education, household size, farm size and use of inorganic fertilizer increased crop diversification (P< 0.01). However, household expenditure (p< 0.05), non-farm income (p< 0.1), age and credit access (P< 0.01) reduced crop diversification. Less than half (45.22%) of the rural households consumed at least nine out of the 12 food groups in the previous week of the survey period. Crop diversification among other factors has a positive (P<0.01) effect on households’ dietary diversity. The results of the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition showed a gender productivity gap of 10.87% in favour of male farmers. The structural and endowment disadvantages of female farmers in land size and credit access are key drivers of gender differentials in agricultural productivity. The study suggests improvement in land tenure system and female farmers’ access to financial services in order to ensure gender productivity equality, women empowerment and efficient agrifood system.