RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Resettlement for Food Security’s Sake: Insights from a Malawi Land Reform Project
JF Land Economics
JO Land Econ
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 222
OP 236
DO 10.3368/le.90.2.222
VO 90
IS 2
A1 Valerie Mueller
A1 Agnes Quisumbing
A1 Hak Lim Lee
A1 Klaus Droppelmann
YR 2014
UL http://le.uwpress.org/content/90/2/222.abstract
AB In several African contexts, households are unable to enhance agricultural production due to land constraints. Few governments have explored the use of resettlement to alleviate land scarcity and facilitate rural-to-rural migration. We examine whether a resettlement project in southern Malawi improved food security in the long term. Our findings indicate resettled households achieved greater long-term food security, owing to additional land coupled with a more diversified crop portfolio. We also find the formalization of property rights improved land security for male and female household heads, but resettlement jeopardized the land security of women in maleheaded households. (JEL Q15, Q18)