Smallholder farmers and contract farming in developing countries.

ABSTRACT: Poverty is prevalent in the small-farm sector of many developing countries. A large literature suggests that contract farming-a preharvest agreement between farmers and buyers-can facilitate smallholder market participation, improve household welfare, and promote rural development. These findings have influenced the development policy debate, but the external validity of the extant evidence is limited. Available studies typically focus on a single contract scheme or on a small geographical area in one country. We generate evidence that is generalizable beyond a particular contract scheme, crop, or country, using nationally representative survey data from 6 countries. We focus on the implications of contract farming for household income and labor demand, finding that contract farmers obtain

SUBMITTER: Meemken EM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6955373 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature