Divergent Energy Transitions: Agricultural Mechanization and Domestic Energy Poverty Among Farming Households in Rural Pakistan

Within the food-energy-water nexus framework, energy choices in both agriculture and household domains are connected, and affect water access, agricultural production, household consumption patterns, and ultimately food security. This study examines dual energy portfolios among farming households in Rahim Yar Khan district, in Punjab, Pakistan. Using cross-sectional data from 1018 households, we analyze how the distinct but interconnected energy domains on-farm and at-home, relate to household wealth and location, and follow fundamentally different transition trajectories. We find that a majority of households use mechanization on farms, including the use of irrigation pumps, threshers and tractors. Mechanization increases with household wealth and farm size, confirming the energy ladder hypothesis. However, for the same households, domestic clean energy access remains limited across all wealth categories and farm sizes, with only 6% using clean cooking and heating energy. The findings reveal that agricultural and domestic energy transitions are proceeding at different paces among the same households, with implications for integrated energy policy. Our study highlights the need for policies that address both agricultural and domestic energy needs simultaneously while considering the trade-offs and synergies between these domains within household resource constraints.