Nonfarm employment and mobility of farmers into different income groups: evidence from rural Ghana

This paper uses survey data from Ghana and survival analysis approach to examine how the nonfarm employment backgrounds of farmers contribute to their mobility into different income levels. The paper argues that different levels of participation of farmers in nonfarm employment activities influence their income levels in the directions of either remaining lower income earners, or experiencing increases in income and, therefore, joining a high-income farmer status. Among others, the paper found that while family and governmental supports encourage retention of farmers in lower income groups, support from non-governmental agencies pushes farmers to attain higher income status faster. The paper recommends that poverty reduction policies must target reducing income polarisation among rural farmers by taking into consideration nonfarm work, gender, land tenure systems and accessible networks.