Does Subsidizing Legume Seeds Improve Farm Productivity and Nutrition in Malawi? 

First release: September 8, 2021

Although input subsidies are a popular policy intervention in Malawi, it remains unknown whether they improve productivity of nutrient-dense crops such as legumes, dietary quality, and child nutrition. This study addresses this important gap by examining these questions empirically using a decade-long nationally representative panel data set and panel regression models.

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We find that subsidizing legume seeds increases area planted with legume crops, overall gross value of production, production and dietary diversity, calories, and micronutrient—vitamin A and zinc—consumption. We further found that subsidizing legume seeds is positively correlated with child weight-for-age Z-score but not height-for-age Z-score.