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Smallholder Agricultural Investment and Productivity under Contract Farming and Customary Tenure System: A Malawian Perspective

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  • Emmanuel Olatunbosun Benjamin

    (Department of Agricultural Production and Resource Economics, Technical University of Munich (TUM), 85354 Freising, Germany)

Abstract

Land tenure security, especially customary residence systems, is found to influence the agricultural investment decision-making and productivity of smallholder farmers across sub-Saharan Africa. However, as country-specific customary residence systems and farming models evolve over time, their impact on food security and livelihood remains unclear. This study investigates the impact of customary residence systems on both agricultural investment (in tea shrubs and agroforestry) and productivity among contracted smallholder tea outgrowers in Southern Malawi. A survey of 228 farmers was conducted in 2018, and a linear probability and ordinary least squared (OLS) models were used for the analysis. The results suggest that matrilocal residence practices positively influence agricultural investment. The study concluded that despite the dominance of matrilineal-matrilocal systems in Southern Malawi, there is a need for policy to address gender gaps in the region because women are still vulnerable and insecure even in these assumed women-friendly customary systems. It is recommended that future research explores other prevailing tenure security systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Emmanuel Olatunbosun Benjamin, 2020. "Smallholder Agricultural Investment and Productivity under Contract Farming and Customary Tenure System: A Malawian Perspective," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-17, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:9:y:2020:i:8:p:277-:d:400576
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    4. Adekola, Oluwafemi & Krigsholm, Pauliina & Riekkinen, Kirsikka, 2023. "Adapted institutional analysis and development framework for understanding customary land institutions in sub-Saharan Africa – A case study from Nigeria," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    5. Benjamin, Emmanuel O. & Ola, Oreoluwa & Sauer, Johannes & Buchenrieder, Gertrud, 2021. "Interaction between agroforestry and women's land tenure security in sub-Saharan Africa: A matrilocal perspective," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    6. Sophie Bruin & Just Dengerink & Jasper Vliet, 2021. "Urbanisation as driver of food system transformation and opportunities for rural livelihoods," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(4), pages 781-798, August.
    7. Rabia Mazhar & Hossein Azadi & Steven Van Passel & Rando Värnik & Marcin Pietrzykowski & Rytis Skominas & Zou Wei & Bi Xuehao, 2023. "Does Contract Length Matter? The Impact of Various Contract-Farming Regimes on Land-Improvement Investment and the Efficiency of Contract Farmers in Pakistan," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-16, August.
    8. Shirzad, Hossein & Barati, Ali Akbar & Ehteshammajd, Shaghayegh & Goli, Imaneh & Siamian, Narges & Moghaddam, Saghi Movahhed & Pour, Mahdad & Tan, Rong & Janečková, Kristina & Sklenička, Petr & Azadi,, 2022. "Agricultural land tenure system in Iran: An overview," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).

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