Household-level land fragmentation and food security implications of land consolidation in the Terai region of Nepal: A case study of Lakshmaniya Rural Municipality

Resumo

Agricultural land fragmentation remains a major constraint to efficient farming in Nepal, where many agricultural households operate several small and spatially separated parcels rather than a single compact holding. Theory of Land Fragmentation and Farm Efficiency anchored this research. This study assessed household-level land fragmentation and its food-security implications in selected settlements of Lakshmaniya Rural Municipality in the Terai region of Nepal. This study adopted a cross-sectional household-level analytical research design. The target population consisted of agricultural households operating land parcels in the selected settlements. A settlement-wise random household survey was conducted among 396 sampled households from 12 settlements using a structured questionnaire. Fragmentation was measured using parcel-based indicators, including parcel count, average parcel size, parcels per hectare, and land per capita. The analysis used descriptive statistics, cross-tabulation, chi-square tests, Cramér’s V, ordered logistic regression, and a simple land-consolidation scenario. The results showed a mean family size of 6.90 persons, a mean parcel count of 5.88, and a mean operated land area of 0.78 ha, with 47.73% of households falling into the high-fragmentation class. Food sufficiency and irrigation status were significantly associated with fragmentation class, whereas self-reported productivity perception was not. After controlling for operated area and family size, higher parcels per hectare were associated with lower odds of being in a better food-sufficiency category, while larger operated area was associated with higher odds. Under the one-parcel consolidation scenario, mean parcel count declined from 5.88 to 1.00, average parcel size increased from 1,190.71 m² to 7,845.81 m², and parcels per hectare decreased from 10.28 to 3.43. These findings suggest that land consolidation could substantially reduce operational fragmentation and create more favourable conditions for efficient farm management and improved household food security. Therefore, local governments and land-management agencies should prioritize participatory land-consolidation pilot programs in highly fragmented settlements, supported by updated cadastral information, irrigation improvement, farm-road access, mechanization support, and farmer-centered implementation mechanisms.