IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ags/ajaees/357197.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Effects of Population Growth on Smallholder Farmers' Productivity and Consumption in Rwanda: A Long-term Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Musafiri, Ildephonse

Abstract

The study investigates the impact of population growth on agricultural change, particularly on agricultural intensification, farm productivity and household welfare. We use a unique panel dataset that spans a 26 year-period, constructed from two waves of household surveys conducted in the northwest district of Rwanda (Nyabihu). The study finds much support for Boserupian land intensification hypothesis in the sample area. The results suggest that, demographic variables (such as household size) are highly associated with input intensity and agricultural productivity. However, the inverse correlation between family size and annual expenditure per capita warns for a sound population policy in the near future. In the long run, over intensive cultivation resulting from population pressure is likely to have decreasing effects on land productivity.

Suggested Citation

  • Musafiri, Ildephonse, 2016. "Effects of Population Growth on Smallholder Farmers' Productivity and Consumption in Rwanda: A Long-term Analysis," Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology, Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology, vol. 12(4).
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:ajaees:357197
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/357197/files/Musafiri1242016AJAEES27693.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Diao, Xinshen & Fan, Shenggen & Yu, Bingxin & Kanyarukiga, Sam, 2007. "Agricultural growth and investment options for poverty reduction in Rwanda," IFPRI discussion papers 689, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    2. Blanken, Juergen & Haen, Hartwig de & von Braun, Joachim, 1991. "Commercialization of agriculture under population pressure: effects on production, and nutrition in Rwanda," Research reports 85, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    3. Diao, Xinshen & Nwafor, Manson & Alpuerto, Vida & Akramov, Kamiljon T. & Salau, Sheu, 2010. "Agricultural growth and investment options for poverty reduction in Nigeria," IFPRI discussion papers 954, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    4. Ansoms, An & McKay, Andrew, 2010. "A quantitative analysis of poverty and livelihood profiles: The case of rural Rwanda," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(6), pages 584-598, December.
    5. Andre, Catherine & Platteau, Jean-Philippe, 1998. "Land relations under unbearable stress: Rwanda caught in the Malthusian trap," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 1-47, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Diao, Xinshen & McMillan, Margaret, 2018. "Toward an Understanding of Economic Growth in Africa: A Reinterpretation of the Lewis Model," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 511-522.
    2. Abdoul Murekezi & Songqing Jin & Scott Loveridge, 2014. "Have coffee producers benefited from the new domestic cherry market? Evidence using panel data from Rwanda," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 45(4), pages 489-500, July.
    3. Diao, Xinshen & Bahiigwa, Godfrey & Pradesha, Angga, 2014. "The role of agriculture in the fast-growing Rwandan economy: Assessing growth alternatives," IFPRI discussion papers 1363, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    4. Adjin, Kougblenou Christophe & Pereira Fontes, Francisco & Sánchez, Marco V., "undated". "A tool to support the spatial prioritization of commodity-specific investments – An application to Uganda," ESA Working Papers 330796, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Agricultural Development Economics Division (ESA).
    5. Del Prete, Davide & Ghins, Léopold & Magrini, Emiliano & Pauw, Karl, 2019. "Land consolidation, specialization and household diets: Evidence from Rwanda," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 139-149.
    6. Diao, Xinshen & McMillan, Margaret S., 2014. "Towards understanding economic growth in Africa: A reinterpretation of the Lewis Model," IFPRI discussion papers 1380, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    7. Janvier Hakuzimana & Blessing Masasi, 2020. "Performance Evaluation Of Irrigation Schemes In Rugeramigozi Marshland, Rwanda," Water Conservation & Management (WCM), Zibeline International Publishing, vol. 4(1), pages 15-19, March.
    8. Shenggen Fan, 2020. "Reflections of Food Policy Evolution over the Last Three Decades," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(3), pages 380-394, September.
    9. David Booth & Frederick Golooba-Mutebi, 2014. "Policy for Agriculture and Horticulture in Rwanda: A Different Political Economy?," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 32(s2), pages 173-198, September.
    10. Hedtrich, Johannes & Aßmann, Christian & Henning, Christian, 2018. "Key Sectors - Key Policies: Challenges on Estimating and Validating a Policy-Impact Function," Conference papers 332937, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    11. Muyombano, Emmanuel & Espling, Margareta, 2020. "Land use consolidation in Rwanda: The experiences of small-scale farmers in Musanze District, Northern Province," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    12. Namahoro, Jean Pierre & Wu, Qiaosheng & Xiao, Haijun & Zhou, Na, 2021. "The asymmetric nexus of renewable energy consumption and economic growth: New evidence from Rwanda," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 336-346.
    13. Boureima Sawadogo & Tegawende Juliette Nana & Maimouna Hama Natama & Fidèle Bama & Emma Tapsoba & Kassoum Zerbo, 2015. "Impact de l'expansion économique et commerciale de la Chine sur la croissance et l'emploi au Burkina Faso: une analyse en équilibre général calculable," Working Papers MPIA 2015-03, PEP-MPIA.
    14. D. de Walque & P. Verwimp, 2010. "The Demographic and Socio-economic Distribution of Excess Mortality during the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 19(2), pages 141-162, March.
    15. Marijke Verpoorten, 2014. "Growth, poverty and inequality in Rwanda: a broad perspective," Working Papers of LICOS - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance 490896, KU Leuven, Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), LICOS - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance.
    16. María Priscila Ramos & Estefanía Custodio & Sofía Jiménez & Alfredo J. Mainar-Causapé & Pierre Boulanger & Emanuele Ferrari, 2022. "Do agri-food market incentives improve food security and nutrition indicators? a microsimulation evaluation for Kenya," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 14(1), pages 209-227, February.
    17. Fenske, James, 2014. "Trees, tenure and conflict: Rubber in colonial Benin," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 226-238.
    18. repec:qeh:qehwps:qehwps33 is not listed on IDEAS
    19. Olsson, Ola & Siba, Eyerusalem, 2013. "Ethnic cleansing or resource struggle in Darfur? An empirical analysis," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 299-312.
    20. Andrea P. Vel�squez Guijo, 2008. "The formality in property rights: determinant in the military strategy of armed actors," HiCN Working Papers 39, Households in Conflict Network.
    21. Maarten Voors & Eleonora Nillesen & Philip Verwimp & Erwin Bulte & Robert Lensink & Daan van Soest, 2010. "Does Conflict affect Preferences? Results from Field Experiments in Burundi," HiCN Working Papers 71, Households in Conflict Network.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ags:ajaees:357197. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journalajaees.com/index.php/AJAEES/index .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.