IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jfpoli/v40y2013icp14-24.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Contract farming configuration: Smallholders’ preferences for contract design attributes

Author

Listed:
  • Abebe, Gumataw K.
  • Bijman, Jos
  • Kemp, Ron
  • Omta, Onno
  • Tsegaye, Admasu

Abstract

While Contract Farming (CF) can enhance smallholders’ income in developing countries, empirical research on the motivation of smallholders to participate in CF is scarce. This paper explores farmer preferences for particular contract design attributes. We combined analytical hierarchy process and discrete choice experiments to investigate the importance of contract design attributes. On the basis of data collected among potato farmers in Ethiopia, we found that input market uncertainty is more important than output market uncertainty in smallholders’ decision to participate. Farmers tend to minimize their risk by opting for the buyer firm above the state and NGOs as providers of seed, inputs, and technical assistance. The results imply that the success of a CF scheme depends on the willingness of the firm to incorporate the preferred contract design attributes. Institutional intervention in the input market could induce agribusiness firms to offer attractive contracts for smallholders.

Suggested Citation

  • Abebe, Gumataw K. & Bijman, Jos & Kemp, Ron & Omta, Onno & Tsegaye, Admasu, 2013. "Contract farming configuration: Smallholders’ preferences for contract design attributes," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 14-24.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfpoli:v:40:y:2013:i:c:p:14-24
    DOI: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2013.01.002
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306919213000110
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.foodpol.2013.01.002?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jonathan Levin, 2003. "Relational Incentive Contracts," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(3), pages 835-857, June.
    2. Rehber, Erkan, 1998. "Vertical Integration In Agriculture And Contract Farming," Working Papers 25991, Regional Research Project NE-165 Private Strategies, Public Policies, and Food System Performance.
    3. Peter Bogetoft & Henrik Ballebye Olesen, 2002. "Ten rules of thumb in contract design: lessons from Danish agriculture," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 29(2), pages 185-204, June.
    4. Ghodsypour, S. H. & O'Brien, C., 1998. "A decision support system for supplier selection using an integrated analytic hierarchy process and linear programming," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(1), pages 199-212, September.
    5. Porter, Gina & Phillips-Howard[malt], Kevin, 1997. "Comparing contracts: An evaluation of contract farming schemes in Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 25(2), pages 227-238, February.
    6. Gelo, Dambala & Koch, Steven F., 2012. "Does one size fit all? Heterogeneity in the valuation of community forestry programs," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 85-94.
    7. Christopher F Baum & Austin Nichols & Mark E Schaffer, 2010. "Evaluating one-way and two-way cluster-robust covariance matrix estimates," BOS10 Stata Conference 11, Stata Users Group.
    8. Williamson, Oliver E, 1979. "Transaction-Cost Economics: The Governance of Contractural Relations," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 22(2), pages 233-261, October.
    9. 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.
    10. Miyata, Sachiko & Minot, Nicholas & Hu, Dinghuan, 2009. "Impact of Contract Farming on Income: Linking Small Farmers, Packers, and Supermarkets in China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(11), pages 1781-1790, November.
    11. Getaneh, Wubalem & Bekabil, Fufa, 2008. "Integrating Small Scale Farmers into Bread Wheat Marketing Chain through Contract Farming in Ethiopia," 2007 Second International Conference, August 20-22, 2007, Accra, Ghana 52101, African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE).
    12. Dhar, Ravi, 1997. "Consumer Preference for a No-Choice Option," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 24(2), pages 215-231, September.
    13. Klaus Deininger, 2003. "Land Policies for Growth and Poverty Reduction," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 15125.
    14. Johann Kirsten & Kurt Sartorius, 2002. "Linking agribusiness and small-scale farmers in developing countries: Is there a new role for contract farming?," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(4), pages 503-529.
    15. Lajili, Kaouthar & Barry, Peter J. & Sonka, Steven T. & Mahoney, Joseph T., 1997. "Farmers' Preferences For Crop Contracts," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 22(2), pages 1-17, December.
    16. Brent Hueth & Ethan Ligon, 1999. "Producer Price Risk and Quality Measurement," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 81(3), pages 512-524.
    17. Umali-Deininger, Dina, 1997. "Public and Private Agricultural Extension: Partners or Rivals?," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 12(2), pages 203-224, August.
    18. Warning, Matthew & Key, Nigel, 2002. "The Social Performance and Distributional Consequences of Contract Farming: An Equilibrium Analysis of the Arachide de Bouche Program in Senegal," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 255-263, February.
    19. Getaw Tadesse & Atle G. Guttormsen, 2011. "The behavior of commodity prices in Ethiopia," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 42(1), pages 87-97, January.
    20. Singh, Sukhpal, 2002. "Contracting Out Solutions: Political Economy of Contract Farming in the Indian Punjab," 2002 ASAE 3rd International Conference, October 18-20, Jaipur, India 294714, Asian Society of Agricultural Economists (ASAE).
    21. Dorward, Andrew & Kydd, Jonathan & Morrison, Jamie & Urey, Ian, 2004. "A Policy Agenda for Pro-Poor Agricultural Growth," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 73-89, January.
    22. Graeme A. Hodge & Carsten Greve, 2009. "PPPs: THE PASSAGE OF TIME PERMITS A SOBER REFLECTION," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(1), pages 33-39, March.
    23. 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.
    24. Poole, Nigel D. & Del Campo Gomis, Francisco J. & Julia Igual, Juan F. & Vidal Gimenez, Fernando, 1998. "Formal contracts in fresh produce markets," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 23(2), pages 131-142, April.
    25. Tesfaye, Abonesh & Brouwer, Roy, 2012. "Testing participation constraints in contract design for sustainable soil conservation in Ethiopia," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 168-178.
    26. Bellemare, Marc F., 2012. "As You Sow, So Shall You Reap: The Welfare Impacts of Contract Farming," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(7), pages 1418-1434.
    27. Sartorius, Kurt & Kirsten, Johann, 2007. "A framework to facilitate institutional arrangements for smallholder supply in developing countries: An agribusiness perspective," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(5-6), pages 640-655.
    28. Marcel Fafchamps & Bart Minten, 1999. "Relationships and traders in Madagascar," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(6), pages 1-35.
    29. Marcel Fafchamps, 1992. "Cash Crop Production, Food Price Volatility, and Rural Market Integration in the Third World," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 74(1), pages 90-99.
    30. Bebbington, Anthony, 1997. "New states, new NGOs? crises and transitions among rural development NGOs in the Andean region," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 25(11), pages 1755-1765, November.
    31. Poulton, Colin & Dorward, Andrew & Kydd, Jonathan, 2010. "The Future of Small Farms: New Directions for Services, Institutions, and Intermediation," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(10), pages 1413-1428, October.
    32. Chavas, Jean-Paul & Holt, Matthew T, 1996. "Economic Behavior under Uncertainty: A Joint Analysis of Risk Preferences and Technology," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 78(2), pages 329-335, May.
    33. Train,Kenneth E., 2009. "Discrete Choice Methods with Simulation," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521747387, September.
    34. Melinda Smale & Richard E. Just & Howard D. Leathers, 1994. "Land Allocation in HYV Adoption Models: An Investigation of Alternative Explanations," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 76(3), pages 535-546.
    35. 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.
    36. Tripathi, R.S. & Singh, Ram & Singh, Sube, 2005. "Contract Farming in Potato Production: An Alternative for Managing Risk and Uncertainty," Agricultural Economics Research Review, Agricultural Economics Research Association (India), vol. 18(Conferenc).
    37. Matthieu Delpierre, 2009. "Farm Input Use in a Context of Liquidity Constraints and Contract Unenforceability," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 18(3), pages 496-528, June.
    38. Chang, Jae Bong & Moon, Wanki & Balasubramanian, Siva K., 2012. "Consumer valuation of health attributes for soy-based food: A choice modeling approach," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(3), pages 335-342.
    39. Sergio Colombo & Nick Hanley & Javier Calatrava‐Requena, 2005. "Designing Policy for Reducing the Off‐farm Effects of Soil Erosion Using Choice Experiments," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(1), pages 81-95, March.
    40. Masakure, Oliver & Henson, Spencer, 2005. "Why do small-scale producers choose to produce under contract? Lessons from nontraditional vegetable exports from Zimbabwe," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 33(10), pages 1721-1733, October.
    41. Barrett, Christopher B. & Bachke, Maren E. & Bellemare, Marc F. & Michelson, Hope C. & Narayanan, Sudha & Walker, Thomas F., 2012. "Smallholder Participation in Contract Farming: Comparative Evidence from Five Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(4), pages 715-730.
    42. Hueth, Brent & Wolf, Stephen & Ligon, Ethan, 2001. "Policing Mechanisms in Agricultural Contracts," Staff General Research Papers Archive 5257, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    43. Eric Ruto & Guy Garrod, 2009. "Investigating farmers' preferences for the design of agri-environment schemes: a choice experiment approach," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 52(5), pages 631-647.
    44. 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.
    45. Kelvin J. Lancaster, 1966. "A New Approach to Consumer Theory," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 74(2), pages 132-132.
    46. Farrington, John, 1995. "The changing public role in agricultural extension," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 20(6), pages 537-544, December.
    47. Vermeulen, Hester & Kirsten, Johann F. & Sartorius, Kurt, 2008. "Contracting arrangements in agribusiness procurement practices in South Africa," Agrekon, Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA), vol. 47(2), pages 1-24, June.
    48. Minten, Bart & Randrianarison, Lalaina & Swinnen, Johan F.M., 2009. "Global Retail Chains and Poor Farmers: Evidence from Madagascar," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(11), pages 1728-1741, November.
    49. Key, Nigel & Runsten, David, 1999. "Contract Farming, Smallholders, and Rural Development in Latin America: The Organization of Agroprocessing Firms and the Scale of Outgrower Production," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 381-401, February.
    50. Poulton, Colin & Macartney, Jon, 2012. "Can Public–Private Partnerships Leverage Private Investment in Agricultural Value Chains in Africa? A Preliminary Review," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 96-109.
    51. Singh, Sukhpal, 2002. "Contracting Out Solutions: Political Economy of Contract Farming in the Indian Punjab," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 30(9), pages 1621-1638, September.
    52. Herath, Deepananda & Weersink, Alfons, 2009. "From Plantations to Smallholder Production: The Role of Policy in the Reorganization of the Sri Lankan Tea Sector," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(11), pages 1759-1772, November.
    53. Rachael E. Goodhue, 2011. "Food Quality: The Design of Incentive Contracts," Annual Review of Resource Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 3(1), pages 119-140, October.
    54. David Boselie & Spencer Henson & Dave Weatherspoon, 2003. "Supermarket Procurement Practices in Developing Countries: Redefining the Roles of the Public and Private Sectors," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 85(5), pages 1155-1161.
    55. Alem, Yonas & Söderbom, Måns, 2012. "Household-Level Consumption in Urban Ethiopia: The Effects of a Large Food Price Shock," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 146-162.
    56. Steven Jaffee & Spencer Henson & Luz Diaz Rios, 2011. "Making the Grade : Smallholder Farmers, Emerging Standards, and Development Assistance Programs in Africa - A Research Program Synthesis," World Bank Publications - Reports 2823, The World Bank Group.
    57. María Bielza & Alberto Garrido & José M. Sumpsi, 2007. "Feasibility of a cash forward contract: An application to the French and Spanish potato sectors," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 23(2), pages 245-261.
    58. H. Holly Wang & Yanping Zhang & Laping Wu, 2011. "Is contract farming a risk management instrument for Chinese farmers?," China Agricultural Economic Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 3(4), pages 489-505, November.
    59. Henson, Spencer & Masakure, Oliver & Boselie, David, 2005. "Private food safety and quality standards for fresh produce exporters: The case of Hortico Agrisystems, Zimbabwe," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 371-384, August.
    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. Nguyen Hung Anh & Wolfgang Bokelmann & Ngo Thi Thuan & Do Thi Nga & Nguyen Van Minh, 2019. "Smallholders’ Preferences for Different Contract Farming Models: Empirical Evidence from Sustainable Certified Coffee Production in Vietnam," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(14), pages 1-26, July.
    2. Bellemare, Marc F. & Bloem, Jeffrey R., 2018. "Does contract farming improve welfare? A review," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 259-271.
    3. Adu-Gyamfi Poku & Regina Birner & Saurabh Gupta, 2018. "Making Contract Farming Arrangements Work in Africa’s Bioeconomy: Evidence from Cassava Outgrower Schemes in Ghana," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-21, May.
    4. Ba, Hélène A. & de Mey, Yann & Thoron, Sylvie & Demont, Matty, 2019. "Inclusiveness of contract farming along the vertical coordination continuum: Evidence from the Vietnamese rice sector," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    5. Sylvaine Lemeilleur, 2014. "The role of input vouchers in modernizing the fresh fruit and vegetable market in Turkey," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 45(4), pages 477-487, July.
    6. Maertens, Miet & Vande Velde, Katrien, 2017. "Contract-farming in Staple Food Chains: The Case of Rice in Benin," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 73-87.
    7. Ragasa, Catherine & Lambrecht, Isabel & Kufoalor, Doreen S., 2018. "Limitations of Contract Farming as a Pro-poor Strategy: The Case of Maize Outgrower Schemes in Upper West Ghana," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 30-56.
    8. Minot, Nicholas & Sawyer, Bradley, 2016. "Contract farming in developing countries: Theory, practice, and policy implications," IFPRI book chapters, in: Devaux, André & Torero, Maximo & Donovan, Jason & Horton, Douglas E. (ed.), Innovation for inclusive value-chain development: Successes and challenges, chapter 4, pages 127-158, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    9. Lambrecht, Isabel Brigitte & Ragasa, Catherine, 2018. "Do development projects crowd-out private sector activities? Evidence from contract farming participation in Northern Ghana," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 9-22.
    10. Ochieng, Dennis O. & Veettil, Prakashan C. & Qaim, Matin, 2017. "Farmers’ preferences for supermarket contracts in Kenya," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 100-111.
    11. Thomas Kopp & Ashok K. Mishra, 2022. "Perishability and market power in Nepalese food crop production," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 73(2), pages 518-540, June.
    12. Bellemare, Marc F., 2012. "As You Sow, So Shall You Reap: The Welfare Impacts of Contract Farming," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(7), pages 1418-1434.
    13. repec:oup:apecpp:v:40:y:2018:i:3:p:379-401. is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Neda Trifković, 2014. "Governance Strategies and Welfare Effects: Vertical Integration and Contracts in the Catfish Sector in Vietnam," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(7), pages 949-961, July.
    15. Fanny Widadie & Jos Bijman & Jacques Trienekens, 2021. "Farmer preferences in contracting with modern retail in Indonesia: A choice experiment," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 37(2), pages 371-392, April.
    16. Kozhaya, Rodrique, 2020. "A systematic review of contract farming and it's impacts on broiler producers in Lebanon," MPRA Paper 99369, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    17. Senakpon F. A. Dedehouanou & Johan Swinnen & Miet Maertens, 2013. "Does Contracting Make Farmers Happy? Evidence from Senegal," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 59, pages 138-160, October.
    18. Delelegne A. Tefera & Jos Bijman, 2021. "Economics of contracts in African food systems: evidence from the malt barley sector in Ethiopia," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 9(1), pages 1-21, December.
    19. Ola, Oreoluwa & Menapace, Luisa, 2020. "Smallholders' perceptions and preferences for market attributes promoting sustained participation in modern agricultural value chains," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    20. Schipmann, Christin & Qaim, Matin, 2011. "Supply chain differentiation, contract agriculture, and farmers’ marketing preferences: The case of sweet pepper in Thailand," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 667-677.
    21. Schipmann, Christin & Qaim, Matin, 2011. "Supply chain differentiation, contract agriculture, and farmers’ marketing preferences: the case of sweet pepper in Thailand," GlobalFood Discussion Papers 108349, Georg-August-Universitaet Goettingen, GlobalFood, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development.

    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:eee:jfpoli:v:40:y:2013:i:c:p:14-24. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/foodpol .

    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.