Land Tenure and Food Sufficiency in Bardiya District (A Case Study of Mangragadi and Beluwa VDC)

Abstract

As we know Land is a prime factor of production for the agricultural country like Nepal, access to it has been the major source for the livelihoods of small and medium farmers. But access to land is governed by the tenure arrangements which in turn affect the production and productivity of the farm. Gaining access through renting in land has had various implications with some studies indicating a positive outcome while others indicating a negative outcome. In Nepal, renting in of land in the form sharecropping in widely practised in Mid Western Region, but there is gap in academic studies as to whether this benefits the farmers and makes them food sufficient. In this context, this study attempts to find out the implication of land tenure concerning agricultural households on food sufficiency. The sampled area of study was each from two VDCs, one from the Tarai, where sharecropping is practised, and the other from the hills, where there is prevalence of owner cultivation, of Bardiya District. The research was designed basically following a qualitative approach in which proportionate samples from each representative area were interviewed using schedules constituting a total sample size of 50. Basic tools used for collection of data were household questionnaire, participant observation method, transect walk, and focus group discussion. The major findings of the study were that even though secure land is productive enough or sufficient environment to make it productive is created, land tenure issue alone would address the issue of food security to much lesser degree. Family, land size, type of land and type of tenure were the major factors governing land tenure such that these were found to have a tremendous impact in food sufficiency. Bigger family size with less economically active population working in big rented in land without irrigation would not result in better yield. For increased productivity and production, all of the majors factors governing land tenure system must be balanced such that this study concluded that bigger family size alone does not lead to food sufficiency nor does bigger land size alone. The findings from this research led to the calculation of per capita requirement of land which would ultimately lead to food sufficiency. For effectiveness of land reform, which is ultimate step for development for a country like Nepal, these four major factors be considered and issues and challenges facing it be addressed before deciding to distribute land or doing any policy change. Tenurial security of renting in land as well as increasing productivity and production of the used land must also be focused.