Africa's changing farm size distribution patterns: the rise of medium‐scale farms

Abstract

This study assesses changes over the past decade in the farm size distributions of Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia. Among all farms below 100 hectares in size, the share of land on small-scale holdings under five hectares has declined except in Kenya. Medium-scale farms (defined here as farm holdings between five and 100 hectares) account for a rising share of total farmland, especially in the 10 to 100 hectare range where the number of these farms is growing especially rapidly. Medium-scale farms control roughly 20% of total farmland in Kenya, 32% in Ghana, 39% in Tanzania, and over 50% in Zambia. The rapid rise of medium-scale holdings in most cases reflects increased interest in land by urban-based professionals or influential rural people. About half of these farmers obtained their land later in life, financed by non-farm income. The rise of medium-scale farms is affecting the region in diverse ways that are difficult to generalize. Many such farms are a source of dynamism, technical change and commercialization of African agriculture. However, medium-scale land acquisitions may exacerbate land scarcity in rural areas, which could have important effects given the projected 60% increase in rural Africa's population between 2015 and 2050. Medium-scale farmers tend to dominate farm lobby groups and influence agricultural policies and public expenditures to agriculture in their favor. Nationally representative Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from six countries (Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia) show that urban households own 5% to 35% of total agricultural land and that this share is rising in all countries where DHS surveys were repeated. This suggests a new and hitherto unrecognized channel by which medium-scale farmers may be altering the strength and location of agricultural growth and employment multipliers between rural and urban areas. Given current trends, medium-scale farms are likely to soon become the dominant scale of farming in many African countries.

Agriculture in Africa – Telling myths from facts: A synthesis

“…The surveys are based on household samples and designed from the perspective of the household, not the farm. As a result, medium and large scale farms are only sparsely covered in practice (Jayne et al, 2016), even though technically represented in the sample. Information is gathered at both the household and the plot level, covering every aspect of farmers' life—from the plots they cultivate, the inputs they use, the crops they grow, the time they allocate per plot, the harvest that is achieved, the way they market it, the amount they lose post-harvest, and so on.…”

Between dependence and deprivation: The interlocking nature of land alienation in Tanzania

“…Table may already reflect a growing urban class of Tanzanian elites who drive investments in medium‐scale commercial agriculture, seeking to reinvest their wealth in land (Jayne et al, ). Official Tanzanian statistics indicate that 28% of urban residents are engaged in agricultural activities (National Bureau of Statistics, ).…”

“…Jayne et al () report a rise in Tanzanian land ownership by urban households from 11.8% to 32.5% of national landholdings in only five years from 2005 to 2010. Within the same period, urban households increased their share of landholdings of 20 ha or above from 17.2% to 78.9% (Jayne et al, ). This development disproportionally affects rural women in negative ways (Knapman et al, ), may “exacerbate land scarcity in rural areas” (Jayne et al, , p. 197), and may also reconfigure social relations of property and labour.…”

“…Within the same period, urban households increased their share of landholdings of 20 ha or above from 17.2% to 78.9% (Jayne et al, ). This development disproportionally affects rural women in negative ways (Knapman et al, ), may “exacerbate land scarcity in rural areas” (Jayne et al, , p. 197), and may also reconfigure social relations of property and labour. Land accumulation for production and speculation by urban elites is in some cases followed by the subsequent leasing of this land to the previous owners—often poor smallholders who cannot afford to cultivate their own land—who now find themselves as tenants working for the new landlords or co‐owners.…”

“…However, given the differences in average farm area between domestic and foreign property owners, proportionately few foreign individuals and companies (45 out of 666) owned more than a quarter of all sampled land area (Table 2). Table 2 may already reflect a growing urban class of Tanzanian elites who drive investments in medium-scale commercial agriculture, seeking to reinvest their wealth in land (Jayne et al, 2016). Official Tanzanian statistics indicate that 28% of urban residents are engaged in agricultural activities (National Bureau of Statistics, 2014).…”