This study examines the role of soil conservation practices (SCPs) in promoting sustainable agri-food production to achieve food and nutrition security. It uses the endogenous treatment regression model to address the selection bias associated with SCP adoption. We examine the data sourced from the 2020 China Land Economic Survey, collected by Nanjing Agricultural University, China. First, we analyze the association between the adoption of SCPs and rice yield; we focus on rice as it is the most common food staple globally. Then we examine the links between the SCPs and the consumption of ten specific foods (rice, pork, beef, poultry, fish, egg, bean products, vegetables, fruits, and vegetable oil). This allows us to glean insights into how SCPs may affect changes in dietary patterns in rural communities. The findings show that adopting SCPs is associated with a 7% increase in rice yield. We find that education, farm size, the slope of the farm, and owning real estate are positively associated with the adoption of SCPs, whereas encountering pest infestations reduces oneβs likelihood of adopting them. As for rice yields, they are positively associated with household size, economic status, soil fertility, plot slope, and having a higher percentage of adults over 65. The findings also show that adopting SCPs can influence the dietary patterns of farming households. Specifically, those who adopt SCPs increase their consumption of fruits and protein-rich food such as pork and fish; however, adopting SCPs is associated with lower consumption of vegetables
