Land Distribution and Rice Sufficiency in Northern Laos

Backward agriculture, inadequate farm income and absolute poverty have long characterized the economy of developing countries. Unequal distribution of agricultural land is often cited as a source of poverty and inefficiency in agriculture. However, much of literature on smallholders tends to address income inequality and (total) land size, while land inequality has been overlooked in those discourses. In view of filling the research gap, this paper provides a micro-level foundation for discussions on land inequality and food security in Laos as a case study for least developed countries. Using detailed primary data of farm households from Phongsaly, one of the poorest provinces in northern Laos, the study decomposes agricultural land into three types, namely irrigated lowland, rain-fed lowland and upland, and evaluates the effect of uneven distribution and quality of land on food security. A significant contribution of the paper consists in that land inequality is controlled for and access to agricultural infrastructure is measured by irrigated area. The study reveals that landholdings - regardless of types of land - improve rice self-sufficiency, and that superior land quality - irrigated or rain-fed lowland - enhances food security of farm households. The findings pertain to impact of land policy (allocation, utilization and management of agricultural land) on food security and poverty alleviation.