Land and Plate: Exploring the Link Between Agricultural Land Allocation and Food Expenditure Inequality in India

This article investigates the relationship between agricultural land allocation and food expenditure inequality in India, a country where agriculture remains central to rural livelihoods and food security. Using nationally representative data from the National Sample Survey Office’s 77th round of the All India Debt and Investment Survey, 2019, the study examines whether the status of land operation for agricultural purposes significantly influences disparities in household food consumption. Employing generalised entropy measures and subgroup decomposition techniques, the analysis reveals a high degree of food expenditure inequality across Indian households, with a pronounced disparity between those that operate land for agriculture and those that do not. While non-agricultural households enjoy higher mean food expenditures and command a disproportionate share of total food spending, land-operating households—despite contributing to food production—exhibit lower consumption levels and greater vulnerability. The decomposition results show that between-group inequality accounts for a substantial portion of overall food expenditure inequality, suggesting that agricultural land allocation plays a critical role in shaping consumption outcomes. These results highlight the importance of differentiated agrarian and welfare policies that address both production and consumption inequalities, especially for small and marginal farmers whose food security continues to be tenuous despite access to land.