The association between household food security and the type of farm power used in land preparation

Climate change is undermining food security in sub–Saharan Africa (SSA) where its impacts are disproportionately felt. Although agricultural mechanization has received attention in SSA over the years as a key pathway for improving agricultural productivity, its links with food security among smallholders remain unclear. In this paper, we examine the association between household food security and the type of farm power for land preparation among smallholders (n=1100). The findings suggest that households that used tractors for land preparation were more likely (OR=1.43, p≤0.05) to report food security when compared to households using manual tools. We also highlight some caveats and policy recommendations.