Is rainfed agriculture really a pathway from poverty?
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Citation
Dave Harris, Alastair Orr. (30/11/2014). Is rainfed agriculture really a pathway from poverty. Agricultural Systems, 123, pp. 84-96.
Abstract
Agriculture’s potential to reduce poverty at household level is explored for rainfed crop production in
Africa and India. A literature survey of crop improvement and natural resource management interventions
demonstrates that new technology can substantially increase net returns per hectare per cropping
season. However, the median net income from improved technologies was only $558/ha/season at 2005
Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) and a de facto limit of around $1700/ha/season was identified, with values
rarely exceeding $1000/ha/season. These values for net returns from the literature were mostly derived
from small-plot studies and are likely to be overestimates when technologies are implemented by
farmers on larger areas. Crop production could be a pathway from poverty where smallholders are able
to increase farm size or where markets stimulate crop diversification, commercialisation and increased
farm profitability. For most smallholders, however, small farm size and limited access to markets mean
that returns from improved technology are too small for crop production alone to lift them above the
poverty line and the direct benefit will be improved household food security.