Can Agricultural Households Farm Their Way out of Poverty?

Drawing on nationally representative data from Nigeria’s 2010-2011 General Household Survey Panel, the authors suggest that a 10 percent increase in agricultural productivity decreases the likelihood of being poor by between 2.5 and 3 percent. The authors point out that while larger land holdings tend to result in higher productivity, having more land doesn’t necessarily mean increased productivity. Rather, greater efficiency is the more important factor in increasing income that can be directed to the purchase of diverse, nutritious diets.