1. The potential for homestead microplots to contribute to food security in rural West Bengal
Presenter: Niketa Kulkarni
Co-Authors: Shih-Ting Huang, Elizabeth Louis, and Diana Fletschner

2. Ending hunger remains a critical objective of development practitioners worldwide
Food security continues to be a key concern of policy makers and practitioners.
790 million people across the globe do not have access to sufficient nutritional sources of food
Households in India are particularly afflicted by hunger and malnourishment.
Almost 25% of the global population suffering from hunger resides in India.*
Approximately 43% of children under the age of five are malnourished
When households experience periods of food insufficiency, women suffer.
Our own research suggests that households often cope with hunger by restricting consumption by women so that men and children can eat.
SDG 2 commits member nations to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition by 2030.
HOW??
*The World Food Program (2012)

3. One solution might be found in providing secure rights to homestead micro-plots
“Land rights, both for individuals and for communities, are critical for achieving sustainable development” – Jeffery Sachs
What are micro-plots?
Small plots of land, often capped at 0.05 acre
Not intended to fully support the household’s livelihood, but rather provide sufficient space for a house, latrine, a kitchen, and some combination of a home garden, high-value trees, and shelter for poultry or livestock
Why micro-plots?
To reach more landless households in areas with high population density and low levels of land availability
In West Bengal, density is particularly high people per square kilometer (national average is 382).

4. We conducted a study on a homestead micro-plot program in the Indian State of West Bengal
Program name: Nijo Griha, Nijo Bhumi (NGNB)
Outreach: About 200,000 households served between
Majority of beneficiaries were “regularized” - received title for land already in their possession
About 25% were “allocated” new plots of land for which beneficiaries received title
Gender inclusivity: Explicit mandate that the titles include women’s names
Recent study found that 76% of the titles issued under NGNB have included a woman’s name
Land authorities in West Bengal received design and implementation support from Landesa between , which provided an opportunity for evaluation

5. Cross-sectional study design
How did we collect information?
Household survey conducted between June & August 2015
All respondents were women
Who did we target?
973 Beneficiaries (regularized and allocated)
347 Non-beneficiaries (households identified as eligible to receive title, but yet to receive)
Which areas did we cover?
Six districts across the Indian State of West Bengal, which reflected diversity across:
Topography
Traditions associated with land use
Administrative organization
Political willingness to implement reforms

6. We used logistic weighted regression models to assess effects on food security
Category
Variables
Outcome variables
Two proxies for food security*
Protein consumption in last 24 hours
Food unavailability in last 3 months
Program variables
Program Type
Regularized
Gender inclusivity
Whether women’s name was included on the title
Allocated
Control
Other variables
Socioeconomic characteristics
Caste
Progress out of Poverty Index
Household composition
Number of Household Members
Presence of men in the household
Whether respondent is married
Home-based livelihood strategies
Household owns livestock
Household grows crops on homestead land
Location
6 Districts
*To be considered food secure, it is generally believed that success is required across three pillars: food availability, food access, and food use. (Quisumbing et al. 1995).

7. Our models did not find much improvement that could be attributed to receiving title
Protein consumption
Food availability
Regularized
No significant effect
No significant effect
Allocated
No significant effect
No significant effect
Regularized + Woman’s name included on the title
No significant effect
Significantly worse
Likely due to targeting rather than program effect
Allocated + Woman’s name included on the title
Significantly worse
Significantly worse
However, households that engaged in either animal husbandry or home gardening were significantly more likely to experience food availability or protein consumption.

8. Legal ownership, established through titles, are expected to improve food security outcomes, so what might have broken down?
Increased perceptions of tenure security and long term ties to land
Increased investment into home garden and livestock
Land ownership documents
Increased access to financial services
Increased access to inputs for crop cultivation or animal husbandry
Improved access to food sources for the household
Legal recognition of ownership
Increased access to government services and programs
Increased knowledge about crop cultivation or animal husbandry

9. Improvements to food security are expected to be greater when women are included on titles, so what might have broken down?
Better choices made about usage of outputs from crop cultivation and animals
Increased exertion of control over land-related decisions
Increased perceptions of ownership rights for women
Improved food security for all household members
Women’s names included on the title
Better choices made about inputs related to crops and animals
Recognition by others of her legal ownership rights
Increased access to government services and programs
Increased knowledge about crop cultivation and animal husbandry

10. We recognize limitations in our study
Since the survey took place between 2-3 years after titles were distributed, it is possible that not enough time has passed to allow for changes in food security.
We were unable to collect accurate data about plot size or land quality. It is possible that these results may be influenced by larger plot sizes or better land, rather than the livelihood activity

11. Recommendations
Land reform programs should ensure homestead plots are large enough or consider supplementing the homestead plots with suitable agricultural land nearby.
Land reform programs could also consider coordinating with agencies providing complementary services such as water, agricultural extension or training, seedlings, animal husbandry support, etc.
It is also important that these efforts target women, as they are more likely to stay at home and implement the necessary livelihood tactics.

12. THANK YOU

13. Appendix – Example of a Microplot
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14. Appendix: Regional scope of study
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