IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/wdevel/v105y2018icp119-131.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

From worker to peasant and then to entrepreneur? Land reform and agrarian change in the Saïss (Morocco)

Author

Listed:
  • Petit, Olivier
  • Kuper, Marcel
  • Ameur, Fatah

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyze the emerging entrepreneurial practices on family farms in two agrarian reform cooperatives in Morocco. Their emergence can be explained by the constant negotiation of multiple and sometimes even antagonistic logics within these farms in a context of rapid agrarian change and the juxtaposition of capitalistic, entrepreneurial and peasant farms in the same area. Through their engagement as workers or sharecroppers in the different types of farms and as household members on the family farm, the young farmers from the dismantled agrarian cooperatives participate actively in the transformation of farming modes. The porosity of the peasant and entrepreneurial worlds is the main lesson we draw from our study. There is a subtle process of hybridization between the peasant and entrepreneurial modes of farming, resulting in a wide range of profiles. If we only focus on the political discourse, the trend towards capitalistic and entrepreneurial modes of farming seems inescapable. Nevertheless, our study stresses the resistance of peasant modes of farming that can blend with a ‘modern’ perception of agriculture.

Suggested Citation

  • Petit, Olivier & Kuper, Marcel & Ameur, Fatah, 2018. "From worker to peasant and then to entrepreneur? Land reform and agrarian change in the Saïss (Morocco)," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 119-131.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:105:y:2018:i:c:p:119-131
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2017.12.031
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X17304242
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.worlddev.2017.12.031?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 look for a different version below or search for a different version of it.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gerard Mcelwee, 2006. "Farmers As Entrepreneurs: Developing Competitive Skills," Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship (JDE), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 11(03), pages 187-206.
    2. Juma, Calestous, 2011. "The New Harvest: Agricultural Innovation in Africa," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199783199.
    3. Olivier Petit & Valère Martin & Marcel Kuper & Fatah Ameur & Claire Papin-Stammose, 2015. "Worker, Peasant or Entrepreneur? Analysis of the Entrepreneurial Logics and Practices of Family Farmers in Agrarian Reform Cooperatives in the Saiss (Morocco)," Post-Print halshs-01249779, HAL.
    4. James Sumberg & Nana Akua Anyidoho & Jennifer Leavy & Dolf J.H. te Lintelo & Kate Wellard, 2012. "Introduction: The Young People and Agriculture ‘Problem’ in Africa," IDS Bulletin, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 43(6), pages 1-8, November.
    5. Ben White, 2012. "Agriculture and the Generation Problem: Rural Youth, Employment and the Future of Farming," IDS Bulletin, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 43(6), pages 9-19, November.
    6. Ameur, Fatah & Kuper, Marcel & Lejars, Caroline & Dugué, Patrick, 2017. "Prosper, survive or exit: Contrasted fortunes of farmers in the groundwater economy in the Saiss plain (Morocco)," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 191(C), pages 207-217.
    7. Wennekers, Sander & Thurik, Roy, 1999. "Linking Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 27-55, August.
    8. Christine Okali & James Sumberg, 2012. "Quick Money and Power: Tomatoes and Livelihood Building in Rural Brong Ahafo, Ghana," IDS Bulletin, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 43(6), pages 44-57, November.
    9. Patrick Dugué & Caroline Lejars & Fatah Ameur & Farida Amichi & Houssem Braiki & Julien Burte & Mostafa Errahj & Meriem Hamamouche & Marcel Kuper, 2014. "Recompositions des agricultures familiales au Maghreb : une analyse comparative dans trois situations d'irrigation avec les eaux souterraines," Revue Tiers-Monde, Armand Colin, vol. 0(4), pages 99-118.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Aziza Irhza & Laila Nassiri & Moussa El Jarroudi & Fouad Rachidi & Rachid Lahlali & Ghizlane Echchgadda, 2023. "Description of the Gap between Local Agricultural Practices and Agroecological Soil Management Tools in Zerhoun and in the Middle Atlas Areas of Morocco," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-17, January.
    2. Rignall, Karen & Kusunose, Yoko, 2018. "Governing livelihood and land use transitions: The role of customary tenure in southeastern Morocco," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 91-103.
    3. Zichun Yan & Kai Wang & Ze-Yu Wang & Jian Yu & Sang-Bing Tsai & Guodong Li, 2018. "Agricultural Internet Entrepreneurs’ Social Network Behaviors and Entrepreneurship Financing Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-17, July.
    4. Manithaythip Thephavanh & Joshua Neil Monty Philp & Ian Nuberg & Matthew Denton & Kim Alexander, 2022. "Narrative Insights Reveal the Motivations of Young Agricultural Entrepreneurs in Laos," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-16, October.
    5. Meriem Farah Hamamouche & Nicolas Faysse & Marcel Kuper & Caroline Lejars & Mostafa Errahj & Zakaria Kadiri & Nadhira Ben Aissa & Ahmed Benmihoub, 2023. "Local development organisations in Saharan regions of North Africa: Expanding horizons," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(1), pages 79-96, January.
    6. Ali Sher & Saman Mazhar & Azhar Abbas & Muhammad Amjed Iqbal & Xiangmei Li, 2019. "Linking Entrepreneurial Skills and Opportunity Recognition with Improved Food Distribution in the Context of the CPEC: A Case of Pakistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-22, March.

    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. Joseph I. Uduji & Elda N. Okolo-Obasi, 2021. "Empowerment of Rural Young People in Informal Farm Entrepreneurship: The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Nigeria’s Oil Producing Communities," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 21/033, African Governance and Development Institute..
    2. Marina Temudo & Manuel Abrantes, 2015. "The Pen and the Plough: Balanta Young Men in Guinea-Bissau," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 46(3), pages 464-485, May.
    3. Frederick Amon-Armah & Nana Akua Anyidoho & Isaac Alvin Amoah & Sander Muilerman, 2023. "A Typology of Young Cocoa Farmers: Attitudes, Motivations and Aspirations," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 35(4), pages 770-793, August.
    4. Grace Muthoni Mwaura, 2017. "Just Farming? Neoliberal Subjectivities and Agricultural Livelihoods among Educated Youth in Kenya," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 48(6), pages 1310-1335, November.
    5. Joseph I. Uduji & Elda N. Okolo-Obasi, 2021. "Empowerment of Rural Young People in Informal Farm Entrepreneurship: The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Nigeria’s Oil Producing Communities," Working Papers 21/033, European Xtramile Centre of African Studies (EXCAS).
    6. Joseph I. Uduji & Elda N. Okolo-Obasi, 2021. "Empowerment of Rural Young People in Informal Farm Entrepreneurship: The Role of Corporate Social Responsibility in Nigeria’s Oil Producing Communities," Research Africa Network Working Papers 21/033, Research Africa Network (RAN).
    7. Kadzamira, Mariam & Kazembe, Cynthia, 2015. "Youth engagement in Agricultural Policy Processes in Malawi," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 211821, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    8. Trent Brown, 2020. "Pathways to Agricultural Skill Development in the Indian Himalayas," Journal of South Asian Development, , vol. 15(2), pages 270-292, August.
    9. James Sumberg & Nana Akua Anyidoho & Michael Chasukwa & Blessings Chinsinga & Jennifer Leavy & Getnet Tadele & Stephen Whitfield & Joseph Yaro, 2014. "Young People, Agriculture, and Employment in Rural Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2014-080, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    10. Blessings Chinsinga & Michael Chasukwa, 2018. "Agricultural Policy, Employment Opportunities and Social Mobility in Rural Malawi," Agrarian South: Journal of Political Economy, Centre for Agrarian Research and Education for South, vol. 7(1), pages 28-50, April.
    11. Jordan Chamberlin & Cristina Ramos & Kibrom Abay, 2021. "Do more Vibrant Rural Areas have Lower Rates of Youth Out-Migration? Evidence from Zambia," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 33(4), pages 951-979, August.
    12. Alessandra Giuliani & Sebastian Mengel & Courtney Paisley & Nicole Perkins & Ingrid Flink & Oliver Oliveros & Mariana Wongtschowski, 2017. "Realities, Perceptions, Challenges and Aspirations of Rural Youth in Dryland Agriculture in the Midelt Province, Morocco," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-23, May.
    13. Emilio Pindado & Mercedes Sánchez, 2017. "Researching the entrepreneurial behaviour of new and existing ventures in European agriculture," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 49(2), pages 421-444, August.
    14. Mapila, Mariam A. T. J., 2014. "Agricultural policy processes and the youth in Malawi:," IFPRI discussion papers 1335, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    15. Moreda, Tsegaye, 2023. "The social dynamics of access to land, livelihoods and the rural youth in an era of rapid rural change: Evidence from Ethiopia," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    16. Johannes I. F. Henning & Nicolette Matthews & Moatlhodi August & Primrose Madende, 2022. "Youths’ Perceptions and Aspiration towards Participating in the Agricultural Sector: A South African Case Study," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-21, May.
    17. Joseph Kwaku Kidido & Monica Lengoiboni, 2019. "Household Land Allocations and the Youth Land Access Nexus: Evidence from the Techiman Area of Ghana," Land, MDPI, vol. 8(12), pages 1-19, December.
    18. Claudia Dias & Ricardo Gouveia Rodrigues & João J. Ferreira, 2021. "Small agricultural businesses' performance—What is the role of dynamic capabilities, entrepreneurial orientation, and environmental sustainability commitment?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(4), pages 1898-1912, May.
    19. Olivier Petit & Valère Martin & Marcel Kuper & Fatah Ameur & Claire Papin-Stammose, 2015. "Worker, Peasant or Entrepreneur? Analysis of the Entrepreneurial Logics and Practices of Family Farmers in Agrarian Reform Cooperatives in the Saiss (Morocco)," Post-Print halshs-01249779, HAL.
    20. Isabel Grilo & Roy Thurik, 2008. "Determinants of entrepreneurial engagement levels in Europe and the US," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 17(6), pages 1113-1145, December.

    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:wdevel:v:105:y:2018:i:c:p:119-131. 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/worlddev .

    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.