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Defining smallholder agriculture in Ghana: Who are smallholders, what do they do and how are they linked with markets?

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  • Chamberlin, Jordan

Abstract

""Smallholders in Ghana, as elsewhere, are widely considered to be the largest as well as the most vulnerable component of the rural sector. Ghana professes national development objectives of reducing rural poverty through the increased productivity and commercialization of smallholder agriculture.... This work uses household survey data, district-level production data and a variety of mapped infrastructural and biophysical data to characterize the production environments and characteristics of smallholder agriculture. This paper explores the relevance of geographically-differentiated characteristics. Several key issues are highlighted: the less prevalent use of inputs, lower commercialization, and lower welfare rates of producers with smaller landholdings.

Suggested Citation

  • Chamberlin, Jordan, 2007. "Defining smallholder agriculture in Ghana: Who are smallholders, what do they do and how are they linked with markets?," GSSP working papers 6, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    • Handle: RePEc:fpr:gsspwp:6
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Prabhu L. Pingali, 1997. "From Subsistence to Commercial Production Systems: The Transformation of Asian Agriculture," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 79(2), pages 628-634.
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    6. Wood, Stanley & Sebastian, Kate & Nachtergaele, Freddy & Nielsen, Daniel & Dai, Aiguo, 1999. "Spatial aspects of the design and targeting of agricultural development strategies:," EPTD discussion papers 44, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
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    Cited by:

    1. Olwande, John & Mathenge, Mary K., 2012. "Market Participation among Poor Rural Households in Kenya," 2012 Conference, August 18-24, 2012, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil 126711, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    2. Benjamin Tetteh Anang & Stefan Bäckman & Antonios Rezitis, 2016. "Does farm size matter? Investigating scale efficiency of peasant rice farmers in northern Ghana," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 36(4), pages 2275-2290.
    3. Benjamin T. Anang & Stefan Bäckman & Antonios Rezitis, 2017. "Production technology and technical efficiency: irrigated and rain-fed rice farms in northern Ghana," Eurasian Economic Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 7(1), pages 95-113, April.
    4. Benin, Samuel & Johnson, Michael E. & Abokyi, Emmanuel & Ahorbo, Gerald & Jimah, Kipo & Nasser, Gamel & Owusu, Victor & Taabazuing, Joe & Tenga, Albert, 2013. "Revisiting agricultural input and farm support subsidies in Africa: The case of Ghana’s mechanization, fertilizer, block farms, and marketing programs:," IFPRI discussion papers 1300, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    5. Ros-Tonen, Mirjam A.F. & Insaidoo, Thomas F.G. & Acheampong, Emmanuel, 2013. "Promising start, bleak outlook: The role of Ghana's modified taungya system as a social safeguard in timber legality processes," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 57-67.
    6. Olwande, John & Mathenge, Mary K., 2011. "Market Participation Among Poor Rural Households in Kenya," Working Papers 202599, Egerton University, Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development.
    7. Baidoo, Samuel Tawiah & Yusif, Hadrat & Anwar, Umar, 2016. "The effect of smallholder livestock production on income of farm households in Northern Ghana," MPRA Paper 90803, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Gutierrez, Elizabeth & Zereyesus, Yacob & Ross, Kara & Amanor-Boadu, Vincent, 2017. "Building a Resilience Index in Northern Ghana Context," 2017 Annual Meeting, February 4-7, 2017, Mobile, Alabama 252806, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.

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