IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/eurjdr/v32y2020i5d10.1057_s41287-020-00315-7.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Emerging Medium-Scale Tenant Farming, Gig Economies, and the COVID-19 Disruption: The Case of Commercial Vegetable Clusters in Ethiopia

Author

Listed:
  • Bart Minten

    (International Food Policy Research Institute)

  • Belay Mohammed

    (International Food Policy Research Institute)

  • Seneshaw Tamru

    (International Growth Center)

Abstract

Driven by the fast spread of private irrigation pumps, there has been a rapid expansion of intensive vegetable cultivation in the central Rift Valley in Ethiopia, making it the most important commercial vegetable production cluster in the country. Supporting that “quiet revolution” has been an inflow of migrant laborers—paid through daily, monthly, or piecemeal contracts, with few employment benefits attached to them—and a gig economy as widely used contractors organize, among others, mechanized land preparation, the digging of wells and ponds, seedling propagation, and loading of trucks. Almost 60% of the irrigated area is cultivated by medium-scale tenant farmers relying on short-term rental contracts. It seems that gig economies characterized by flexible contract arrangements implemented by outside contractors, which are increasingly fueling sophisticated sectors in developed countries, are important in these commercial agrarian settings in Africa as well. We further find that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant disruptions of this model, as seen by more limited access to services and the unavailability or high price increases in factor markets, especially for labor, and large but heterogenous price changes in output markets.

Suggested Citation

  • Bart Minten & Belay Mohammed & Seneshaw Tamru, 2020. "Emerging Medium-Scale Tenant Farming, Gig Economies, and the COVID-19 Disruption: The Case of Commercial Vegetable Clusters in Ethiopia," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 32(5), pages 1402-1429, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:eurjdr:v:32:y:2020:i:5:d:10.1057_s41287-020-00315-7
    DOI: 10.1057/s41287-020-00315-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41287-020-00315-7
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41287-020-00315-7?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. Mueller, Valerie & Thurlow, James, 2019. "Youth and jobs in rural Africa: Beyond stylized facts: Synopsis:," IFPRI synopses 9780896296855, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    2. Dorosh, Paul A., ed. & Minten, Bart, ed., 2020. "Ethiopia's agrifood system: Past trends, present challenges, and future scenarios: Synopsis," IFPRI synopses 9780896296930, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    3. World Bank, 2019. "Ethiopia Economic Update 7," World Bank Publications - Reports 31503, The World Bank Group.
    4. Ayala Wineman & Thomas S. Jayne & Emma Isinika Modamba & Holger Kray, 2020. "The changing face of agriculture in Tanzania: Indicators of transformation," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 38(6), pages 685-709, November.
    5. Reardon, Thomas & Echeverria, Ruben & Berdegué, Julio & Minten, Bart & Liverpool-Tasie, Saweda & Tschirley, David & Zilberman, David, 2019. "Rapid transformation of food systems in developing regions: Highlighting the role of agricultural research & innovations," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 47-59.
    6. William J. Burke & Thomas S. Jayne & Nicholas J. Sitko, 2020. "Do Medium‐scale Farms Improve Market Access Conditions for Zambian Smallholders?," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 71(2), pages 517-533, June.
    7. Hirvonen, Kalle & Wolle, Abdulazize & Minten, Bart, 2018. "Affordability of fruits and vegetables in Ethiopia," ESSP research notes 70, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    8. Wolle, Abdulazize & Hirvonen, Kalle & de Brauw, Alan & Baye, Kaleab & Abate, Gashaw T., 2020. "Household food consumption patterns in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia," ESSP working papers 139, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    9. T. S. Jayne & Milu Muyanga & Ayala Wineman & Hosaena Ghebru & Caleb Stevens & Mercedes Stickler & Antony Chapoto & Ward Anseeuw & Divan van der Westhuizen & David Nyange, 2019. "Are medium‐scale farms driving agricultural transformation in sub‐Saharan Africa?," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 50(S1), pages 75-95, November.
    10. Chapoto, Antony & Haggblade, Steven & Hichaambwa, Munguzwe & Kabwe, Stephen & Longabaugh, Steven & Sitko, Nicholas & Tschirley, David L., 2013. "Institutional Models for Accelerating Agricultural Commercialization: Evidence from Post-Independence Zambia, 1965 to 2012," 2013 Fourth International Conference, September 22-25, 2013, Hammamet, Tunisia 160298, African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE).
    11. Chapoto, Antony & Haggblade, Steven & Hichaambwa, Munguzwe & Kabwe, Stephen & Longabaugh, Steven & Sitko, Nicholas & Tschirley, David L., 2013. "Institutional Models for Accelerating Agricultural Commercialization: Evidence from Maize, Cotton and Horticulture," Food Security Collaborative Policy Briefs 154940, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    12. Shahidur Rashid & Nigussie Tefera & Nicholas Minot & Gezahegn Ayele, 2013. "Can modern input use be promoted without subsidies? An analysis of fertilizer in Ethiopia," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 44(6), pages 595-611, November.
    13. Zhang, Xiaobo & Hu, Dinghuan, 2014. "Overcoming Successive Bottlenecks: The Evolution of a Potato Cluster in China," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 102-112.
    14. Máximo Torero, 2020. "Without food, there can be no exit from the pandemic," Nature, Nature, vol. 580(7805), pages 588-589, April.
    15. Dorosh, Paul A., ed. & Minten, Bart, ed., 2020. "Ethiopia's agrifood system: Past trends, present challenges, and future scenarios," IFPRI books, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), number 9780896296916.
    16. Mueller, Valerie & Thurlow, James, 2019. "Youth and jobs in rural Africa: Beyond stylized facts," IFPRI books, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), number 9780198848059.
    17. Getnet, Mezegebu & Hengsdijk, Huib & van Ittersum, Martin, 2014. "Disentangling the impacts of climate change, land use change and irrigation on the Central Rift Valley water system of Ethiopia," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 104-115.
    18. Bachewe, Fantu N. & Berhane, Guush & Minten, Bart & Taffesse, Alemayehu S., 2018. "Agricultural Transformation in Africa? Assessing the Evidence in Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 286-298.
    19. Bachewe, Fantu Nisrane & Minten, Bart, 2019. "The rising costs of nutritious foods: The case of Ethiopia," ESSP working papers 134, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    20. Eduardo Nakasone & Maximo Torero & Bart Minten, 2014. "The Power of Information: The ICT Revolution in Agricultural Development," Annual Review of Resource Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 6(1), pages 533-550, October.
    21. Baye, Kaleab & Hirvonen, Kalle, 2020. "Accelerating progress in improving diets and nutrition in Ethiopia," ESSP working papers 144, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    22. Gerald Friedman, 2014. "Workers without employers: shadow corporations and the rise of the gig economy," Review of Keynesian Economics, Edward Elgar Publishing, vol. 2(2), pages 171-188, April.
    23. Hirvonen, Kalle & Abate, Gashaw T. & de Brauw, Alan, 2020. "Food and nutrition security in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia during COVID-19 pandemic: May 2020 report," ESSP working papers 143, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    24. Mueller, Valerie & Rosenbach, Gracie & Thurlow, James, 2019. "Conclusion [in Youth and jobs in rural Africa: Beyond stylized facts]," IFPRI book chapters, in: Youth and jobs in rural Africa: Beyond stylized facts, chapter 10, pages yj277-288, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    25. T.S. Jayne & Jordan Chamberlin & Lulama Traub & Nicholas Sitko & Milu Muyanga & Felix K. Yeboah & Ward Anseeuw & Antony Chapoto & Ayala Wineman & Chewe Nkonde & Richard Kachule, 2016. "Africa's changing farm size distribution patterns: the rise of medium-scale farms," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 47(S1), pages 197-214, November.
    26. Christopher Blattman & Stefan Dercon, 2018. "The Impacts of Industrial and Entrepreneurial Work on Income and Health: Experimental Evidence from Ethiopia," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 10(3), pages 1-38, July.
    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. Kalle Hirvonen & Bart Minten & Belay Mohammed & Seneshaw Tamru, 2021. "Food prices and marketing margins during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Evidence from vegetable value chains in Ethiopia," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 52(3), pages 407-421, May.
    2. Spencer Henson & Uma Kambhampati & Tewodaj Mogues & Wendy Olsen & Martin Prowse & Raul Ramos & John Rand & Rasjah Rasiah & Keetie Roelen & Rebecca Tiessen & O. Fiona Yap, 2020. "The Development Impacts of COVID-19 at Home and Abroad: Politics and Implications of Government Action," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 32(5), pages 1339-1352, December.
    3. Hiroyuki Takeshima & Ian Masias & Myat Thida Win & Phoo Pye Zone, 2023. "Effects of COVID‐19 restrictions on mechanization service providers and mechanization equipment retailers: Insights from phone surveys in Myanmar," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(1), pages 323-351, February.
    4. Martin Paul Jr Tabe‐Ojong & Guyo Godana Dureti, 2023. "Are agro‐clusters pro‐poor? Evidence from Ethiopia," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 74(1), pages 100-115, February.
    5. Johan Swinnen & Rob Vos, 2021. "COVID‐19 and impacts on global food systems and household welfare: Introduction to a special issue," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 52(3), pages 365-374, May.
    6. Altanshagai Batmunkh & Maria Fekete-Farkas & Zoltan Lakner, 2022. "Bibliometric Analysis of Gig Economy," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-15, April.
    7. Reardon, Thomas & Liverpool-Tasie, Saweda & Minten, Bart, 2022. "IFAD Research Series 78: The Small and Medium Enterprises’ quiet revolution in the hidden middle of food systems in developing regions," IFAD Research Series 321998, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
    8. Thomas Daum & Hans Konrad Biesalski & Nikola Blaschke & Christine Bosch & Denise Güttler & Jakob Heni & Juliet Kariuki & Roseline Katusiime & Anna Seidel & Zinsou‐Narcisse Senon & George Woode & Regin, 2023. "Nutrition‐sensitive lockdowns: Conceptual framework and empirical insights from Africa during COVID‐19," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 41(3), May.
    9. Reardon, Thomas & Awokuse, Titus & Belton, Ben & Liverpool-Tasie, Lenis Saweda O. & Minten, Bart & Nguyen, Genevieve & Qanti, Sara & Swinnen, Johan & Vos, Rob & Zilberman, David, 2024. "Emerging outsource agricultural services enable farmer adaptation in agrifood value chains: A product cycle perspective," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    10. Thomas Reardon & Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie & Bart Minten, 2021. "Quiet Revolution by SMEs in the midstream of value chains in developing regions: wholesale markets, wholesalers, logistics, and processing," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(6), pages 1577-1594, December.
    11. Kaat Van Hoyweghen & Anna Fabry & Hendrik Feyaerts & Idrissa Wade & Miet Maertens, 2021. "Resilience of global and local value chains to the Covid‐19 pandemic: Survey evidence from vegetable value chains in Senegal," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 52(3), pages 423-440, May.
    12. Rafi Amir-ud-Din & Sameen Zafar & Muhammad Muzammil & Rabia Shabbir & Summaira Malik & Muhammad Usman, 2022. "Exploring the Relationship Between Maternal Occupation and Under-Five Mortality: Empirical Evidence from 26 Developing Countries," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(5), pages 2373-2399, October.
    13. Zezza,Alberto & Mcgee,Kevin Robert & Wollburg,Philip Randolph & Assefa,Thomas Woldu & Gourlay,Sydney, 2022. "From Necessity to Opportunity : Lessons for Integrating Phone and In-Person Data Collectionfor Agricultural Statistics in a Post-Pandemic World," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10168, The World Bank.

    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. Lin, Jessie & Gupta, Anubhab, 2022. "Implications of Farm Size and Staple Production on Rural and Urban Food Security and Dietary Diversity," 96th Annual Conference, April 4-6, 2022, K U Leuven, Belgium 321161, Agricultural Economics Society - AES.
    2. 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.
    3. Mayorga, Joaquin & Mishra, Ashok K. & Villacis, Alexis, 2022. "Extreme Heat and Agricultural TFP: The Case of Nigerian Subsistence Agriculture," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322527, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    4. Unnikrishnan, Vidhya & Pinet, Melanie & Marc, Lukasz & Boateng, Nathaniel Amoh & Boateng, Ethel Seiwaa & Pasanen, Tiina & Atta-Mensah, Maya & Bridonneau, Sophie, 2022. "Impact of an integrated youth skill training program on youth livelihoods: A case study of cocoa belt region in Ghana," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    5. Kruseman, Gideon & Dermawan, Ahmad & Diagne, Mandiaye & Enahoro, Dolapo & Frija, Aymen & Gatto, Marcel & Gbegbelegbe, Sika & Komarek, Adam M. & Mausch, Kai & Mottaleb, Khondoker, 2021. "Foresight for income and employment: What can we learn for agricultural research for development," SocArXiv 783rw, Center for Open Science.
    6. Wendy Geza & Mjabuliseni Ngidi & Temitope Ojo & Adetoso Adebiyi Adetoro & Rob Slotow & Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi, 2021. "Youth Participation in Agriculture: A Scoping Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-15, August.
    7. Lateef Olalekan Bello & Lloyd J. S. Baiyegunhi & Gideon Danso-Abbeam & Adebayo Isaiah Ogunniyi & Kehinde Olagunju & Tahirou Abdoulaye & Victor Manyong & Zoumana Bamba & Bola Amoke Awotide, 2022. "Assessing the Impact of Youth-in-Agribusiness Program on Poverty and Vulnerability to Poverty in Nigeria," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-14, May.
    8. Paul Christian & Steven Glover & Florence Kondylis & Valerie Mueller & Matteo Ruzzante & Astrid Zwager, 2022. "Do private consultants promote savings and investments in rural Mozambique?," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 53(1), pages 22-36, January.
    9. Kalle Hirvonen & Alan de Brauw & Gashaw T. Abate, 2021. "Food Consumption and Food Security during the COVID‐19 Pandemic in Addis Ababa," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 103(3), pages 772-789, May.
    10. René Bodjrènou & Françoise Comandan & Derrick Kwadwo Danso, 2023. "Assessment of Current and Future Land Use and Land Cover in the Oueme Basin for Hydrological Studies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-16, January.
    11. Kalle Hirvonen & Bart Minten & Belay Mohammed & Seneshaw Tamru, 2021. "Food prices and marketing margins during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Evidence from vegetable value chains in Ethiopia," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 52(3), pages 407-421, May.
    12. Bagchi, Niladri Sekhar & Mishra, Pulak & Behera, Bhagirath, 2021. "Value chain development for linking land-constrained farmers to markets: Experience from two selected villages of West Bengal, India," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    13. Liverpool-Tasie, Saweda & Nuhu, Ahmed Salim & Awokuse, Titus O. & Jayne, Thomas S. & Muyanga, Milu & Aromolaran, Adebayo & Adelaja, Adesoji, 2020. "Spillover effects of Medium-Scale Farms on Smallholder Behavior and Welfare: Evidence from Nigeria," 2020 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, Kansas City, Missouri 304606, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    14. Kassie, Menale & Abro, Zewdu & Kimathi, Emily & De Groote, Hugo & Tefera, Tadele & Subramanian, Sevgan & Wossen, Tesfamichael & Ekesi, Sunday & Ekesi, Sunday, 2021. "The Economic, Food Security, and Health Effects of Fall Armyworm in Ethiopia," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315887, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    15. Rachel A. Bahn & Abed Al Kareem Yehya & Rami Zurayk, 2021. "Digitalization for Sustainable Agri-Food Systems: Potential, Status, and Risks for the MENA Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-24, March.
    16. Cariappa, AG Adeeth & Acharya, Kamlesh Kumar & Adhav, Chaitanya Ashok & Sendhil, R. & Ramasundaram, P., 2022. "COVID-19 induced lockdown effects on agricultural commodity prices and consumer behaviour in India – Implications for food loss and waste management," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 82(PA).
    17. Omotilewa, Oluwatoba J. & Jayne, T.S. & Muyanga, Milu & Aromolaran, Adebayo B. & Liverpool-Tasie, Lenis Saweda O. & Awokuse, Titus, 2021. "A revisit of farm size and productivity: Empirical evidence from a wide range of farm sizes in Nigeria," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    18. Wondmagegn Tirkaso & Atakelty Hailu, 2022. "Does neighborhood matter? Spatial proximity and farmers’ technical efficiency," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 53(3), pages 374-386, May.
    19. Amrita Saha & Rachel Sabates-Wheeler & John Thompson, 2022. "Insights into smallholder capacity for agricultural commercialisation: Evidence from four African contexts," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(4), pages 1757-1802, August.
    20. Sitko, Nicholas J. & Jayne, T.S., 2014. "Structural transformation or elite land capture? The growth of “emergent” farmers in Zambia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 194-202.

    More about this item

    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:pal:eurjdr:v:32:y:2020:i:5:d:10.1057_s41287-020-00315-7. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.palgrave-journals.com/ .

    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.