ABSTRACT

This chapter focuses on the empirical diversity of contract farming (CF) experiences and discusses some of the methodological and analytical challenges encountered in CF research. In neighbouring Tanzania, the CF of tobacco is structured completely differently. Treated as a credible indicator of the status of general household welfare, household income has continually been a key concern for CF researchers. CF is commonly linked to notions of agribusinesses and the vertical coordination of smallholders into global value chains. In contrast to the pervasive tendency of agribusinesses in many countries to choose geographical locations for contracting that are characterised by adequate infrastructure and minimal competition from other firms, the situation outlined by Walker is somewhat different. The relationship between CF and broader societal trajectories–that is, the consequences of CF on local or regional socio-economic dynamics in areas dominated by CF–is only sparsely illuminated.