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Smallholder Participation in Agricultural Value Chains: Comparative Evidence from Three Continents

Author Info

Listed author(s):
  • Barrett, Christopher B.
  • Bachke, Maren E.
  • Bellemare, Marc F.
  • Michelson, Hope C.
  • Narayanan, Sudha
  • Walker, Thomas F.

Abstract

Supermarkets, specialized wholesalers, and processors and agro-exporters’ agricultural value chains have begun to transform the marketing channels into which smallholder farmers sell produce in low-income economies. We develop a conceptual framework through which to study contracting between smallholders and a commodity-processing firm. We then conduct an empirical meta-analysis of agricultural value chains in five countries across three continents (Ghana, India, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Nicaragua). We document patterns of participation, the welfare gains associated with participation, reasons for non-participation, the significant extent of contract non-compliance, and the considerable dynamism of these value chains, as farmers and firms enter and exit frequently.

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File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/27829/1/MPRA_paper_27829.pdf
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Paper provided by University Library of Munich, Germany in its series MPRA Paper with number 27829.

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Date of creation: 30 Dec 2010
Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:27829
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Keywords: Agricultural Value Chains; Contract Farming; Africa; Asia; Latin America;

Find related papers by JEL classification:

  • L23 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Organization of Production
  • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
  • L24 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Contracting Out; Joint Ventures
  • Q12 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets
  • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology

References listed on IDEAS
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  1. Bajari, Patrick & Tadelis, Steven, 2001. "Incentives versus Transaction Costs: A Theory of Procurement Contracts," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 32(3), pages 387-407, Autumn.
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  3. Barrett, Christopher B., 2008. "Smallholder market participation: Concepts and evidence from eastern and southern Africa," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 299-317, August.
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  9. Michelson, Hope & Reardon, Thomas & Perez, Francisco, 2012. "Small Farmers and Big Retail: Trade-offs of Supplying Supermarkets in Nicaragua," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 342-354.
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  15. Kaushik Basu, 2007. "Coercion, contract and the limits of the market," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 29(4), pages 559-579, December.
  16. Marc F. Bellemare, 2010. "Agricultural extension and imperfect supervision in contract farming: evidence from Madagascar," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 41(6), pages 507-517, November.
  17. Marcel Fafchamps, 2004. "Market Institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa: Theory and Evidence," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262062364, July.
  18. Greif, Avner, 1993. "Contract Enforceability and Economic Institutions in Early Trade: the Maghribi Traders' Coalition," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 83(3), pages 525-548, June.
  19. Trienekens, Jacques H. & Willems, Sabine, 2007. "Innovation and Governance in International Food Supply Chains: The Cases of Ghanaian Pineapples and South African Grapes," International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association (IFAMA), vol. 10(4).
  20. Genicot, Garance, 2002. "Bonded labor and serfdom: a paradox of voluntary choice," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(1), pages 101-127, February.
  21. Reardon, Thomas & Barrett, Christopher B. & Berdegué, Julio A. & Swinnen, Johan F.M., 2009. "Agrifood Industry Transformation and Small Farmers in Developing Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(11), pages 1717-1727, November.
  22. Feder, Gershon & O'Mara, Gerald T, 1981. "Farm Size and the Diffusion of Green Revolution Technology," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 30(1), pages 59-76, October.
  23. Jacqueline Vanderpuye-Orgle & Christopher Barrett, 2009. "Risk Management and Social Visibility in Ghana," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 21(1), pages 5-35.
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Cited by:

  1. Rosch, Stephanie & Ortega, David, 2014. "Looking for Causes of Effects: Imperfect Contract Enforcement in Kenya's French Bean Market," 2014 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2014, Minneapolis, Minnesota 170553, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
  2. Narayanan, Sudha, 2014. "Profits from participation in high value agriculture: Evidence of heterogeneous benefits in contract farming schemes in Southern India," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 142-157.
  3. Suzuki, Aya, 2014. "Risk on Dynamic Behavior of Farmers in the Export Market: A Case from the Pineapple Industry in Ghana," 2014 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2014, Minneapolis, Minnesota 170665, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
  4. Sudha Narayanan, 2012. "Safe gambles? Farmer perceptions of transactional certainty and risk-return tradeoffs in contract farming schemes in Southern India," Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai Working Papers 2012-021, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai, India.
  5. Frank Mmbando & Edilegnaw Wale & Lloyd Baiyegunhi, 2015. "Welfare impacts of smallholder farmers’ participation in maize and pigeonpea markets in Tanzania," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 7(6), pages 1211-1224, December.

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