Does Land Registration Enhance Soil Health Restoration and Household Food Security? Evidence from Smallholder Farmers in Malawi

Abstract

Tenure insecurity among smallholder farmers undermines incentives for long-term soil health restoration investments, thereby limiting agricultural productivity and household food security. This study examines the impacts of land registration on soil health restoration and household food security among smallholder farmers in Malawi. Using representative data from 506 households, the study employs a corrected selectivity endogenous switching regression model to account for selection bias, reverse causality and unobserved heterogeneity. Food security is measured using multiple indicators to capture its multidimensional nature, including the Women’s Dietary Diversity Score (WDDS), Children’s Dietary Diversity Score (CDDS), the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS), and the Household Food Insecurity Experience Scale (HFIES). The results indicate that land registration significantly improves soil health restoration by 9% (p < 0.00) and food security outcomes across indicators, with average treatment effects on the treated (ATT) of 1.02 for WDDS, 0.50 for CDDS, −0.83 for HFIES, and −2.54 for HFIAS, all significant at the 1% level. Furthermore, household and farm characteristics, such as the age of the household head, membership in farmer groups, landholding size, and adoption of sustainable land management practices enhance welfare. The study suggests that scaling up targeted land registration, alongside promoting complementary sustainable land management practices, has the potential to improve soil health restoration and strengthen food security in Malawi’s smallholder farming systems.