Crop Commercialization and Nutrient intake among Farming Households in Uganda

Abstract

Agricultural commercialization is seen as a pathway towards rural economic transformation as it is expected to enhance a wide array of household welfare indicators. This study examines the channels through which household nutrient intake is influenced in the process of crop commercialization. This was investigated using LSMS-ISA survey data for Uganda using the control function econometric approach. The results show that commercialization affects nutrient intake via crop income. Another crucial finding was that while rural-based households registered higher nutritional gains from crop commercialization, they were less commercialized on average. The role of markets as a key factor in the agricultural commercialization process was confirmed; households that had access to produce markets are more commercialized and have better nutrient intake. While male-headed households were found to practice more commercialization, their households have less nutrient intake compared to their female headed counterparts.