Family Labor Research Articles

Contract Farming in Low and Lower-Middle-Income Countries: Using Meta-Analysis and Factor Analysis

Purpose: Smallholder farmers' agriculture in developing countries particularly in low and lower-middle-income countries is known for poor production and productivity levels which has been related to the inadequate use of improved agricultural inputs and marketing systems, and in this case, contract farming. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the various factors which affect contract farming among smallholder farmers in developing countries. However, trying to investigate those contract farming determinants by a single analytical method leads it to have limited findings, narrowed generalizability and difficulty in investigating major determinants that determine contract farming success. Therefore, a joint approach using factor analysis and meta-analysis can give a more comprehensive understanding of contract farming factors. Methodology: The data was gathered through a Systematic Literature Review, finding a total of 3007 studies from SCOPUS, PubMed, PubAg, and EMBASE. The PRISMA method was applied to, and finally, 35 peer-reviewed articles in English between January 1990 to September 2023 were selected. Findings: The meta-analysis showed interesting insights into factors influencing contract farming participation. Education and household size exhibited a negative association, suggesting that farmers with higher education levels and larger families may be less likely to participate in contract farming arrangements. This could be due to a preference for independent decision-making or the need for family labor in alternative income-generating activities. On the other hand, farmers with larger landholdings are more inclined to participate. To encourage broader participation, policymakers, and program designers could consider targeted outreach and support services for these specific demographics. Originality and value: Our new approach, joining meta-analysis and factor analysis, sheds innovative light on contract farming determinants. While the expected determinants like farm and household size, along with education, remained significant, our analysis showed unexpected nuances. Age of the household head emerged as potentially favoring younger, less experienced farmers. Moreover, access to extension services played an important role, while large household size might have a more complex influence depending on age composition. This comprehensive approach offers valuable insights for targeted outreach programs and collaboration with extension services to optimize contract farming adoption and success in developing countries.

Risk preference and rural livelihood transitions in the hilly and mountainous region of southern China: a case study in Ruijin City

Rural livelihood transition towards non-agriculturalization, non-grainization and even anti-urbanization has become a thorny social problem that undermines farmland resources and worldwide food security. Based on a simulation survey, this study explored the risk preferences and the livelihood transition mechanisms of typical farmers in the hilly and mountainous region. The results indicated that: (1) 76.86% of rural households exhibited risk aversion tendencies, with 60.67% being highly risk-averse. The ranking of risk aversion among the three typical farmers is consistent with asset abundance, with non-agriculture oriented households > semi-farmer and semi-labour households > vocational farmer households. (2) The non-grainization of vocational farmer households is significantly and positively correlated with the family labour force, land management area, and housing assets, yet negatively correlated with risk preferences. Compared to traditional grain cultivation, non-grainization in the hilly and mountainous region possesses lower risks and higher profitability for vocational farmer households. (3) The total non-agriculturalization of semi-farmer and semi-labour households correlates negatively with land management area but positively with family income. (4) Anti-urbanization and returning hometowns for farming are still regarded as a livelihood fallback by the non-agriculture oriented households, but excessive gift expenditure has become a heavy burden in rural society. Therefore, practical and systematical countermeasures are proposed in this research to guide sustainable livelihood transition.

Contribution of provisioning ecosystem services of homestead trees to rural livelihoods in Kashmir Himalaya, India

Aim: To quantify provisioning ecosystem services (PES) derived from homestead trees, estimate their economic value and contribution to rural livelihoods, and ascertain socio-economic determinants of household PES income from homestead trees in district Budgam of Kashmir. Methodology: In this study 106 homesteads were selected across 12 sample villages using multi-stage random sampling. Data were gathered through structured interviews, focus group discussions, homestead inventories, non-participant observations, and rapid market assessments. The data were analyzed through descriptive and analytical statistics. Results: The mean value of PES of homestead trees was ₹ 14349.27 per household per year, which was composed of fruits (45.54%), fuel wood (20.50%), tree browse (18.15%), timber (8.06%), and wicker (7.75%). PES of homestead trees constituted 4th important component of rural economy, accounting 16.23% of the average household's income. ANCOVA indicated that social membership, family size, family labour, farm size, livestock holding, main occupation, wealth status and annual income were potent predictors of household PES income from homestead trees. The R2 (0.872) of the ANCOVA model indicated that socio-economic determinants accounted for 87.20% of the variation in homestead trees' domestic PES revenue. Interpretation: Findings suggested that PES income from homestead trees is a vital intervention for socio-economic development, livelihood diversification, and forest conservation; hence, policy must be implicated towards a sustainable supply of PES from homestead trees by promoting homestead tree holdings. Key words: Homestead trees, Kashmir Himalaya, Livelihood, Provisioning ecosystem services

Fish Farming Scenario in Western Santa Catarina

Objectives: This study aims to characterize and understand fish farming in the western region of Santa Catarina, offering guidance to improve fish farmers’ decision-making and identify areas for potential development. Method: The research used a qualitative approach, with data collected through semi-structured interviews with 21 fish farmers registered with the Integrated Agricultural Development Company of Santa Catarina (CIDASC), in the western region of the state. Results and Discussion: Fish farming in the western region of Santa Catarina is predominantly composed of small properties with excavated ponds, focused on tilapia production and highly dependent on family labor. Despite technological and organizational advances, there are deficiencies in technical and administrative control. These gaps indicate the need for significant improvements in the management and operation of agro-industries. Research Implications: The study suggests that specific public policies are essential for the sustainable development of the sector, including technical assistance, financial support and incentives for generational succession. These measures can help overcome challenges and foster growth in the sector. Originality/Value: This study offers a detailed analysis of fish farming in Western Santa Catarina, providing valuable information for the formulation of policies and strategies aimed at improving and sustaining the local sector.

Economic Analysis of Seed Spice Cultivation in Gujarat, India

The present investigation was carried out to study the cost of cultivation and returns per hectare of major seed spices in Gujarat. The study was conducted at Banaskantha district for cumin and fennel as per the second highest triennium average area of cumin and fennel and at Junagadh district for coriander as it shows the highest triennium average area of coriander respectively during the year of 2023-24. In Gujarat for 2023-24, cumin cultivation incurred significant costs with hired labour as the largest component at 15.80 per cent, followed closely by family labour (15.65%) and rental value of owned land (13.44%). Fennel farms saw average costs of ₹70468.90 per hectare, peaking at ₹71356.01 on large farms and lowest at ₹67208.33 on small farms, with family labour (17.25%), irrigation (16.04%) and land rental (15.64%) as major expenses. Similarly, coriander farms had an average cost of ₹75939.26 per hectare, highest on large farms at ₹76551.63 and lowest on small farms at ₹74160.06, with rental value on owned land (18.95%), hired labour (16.35%), and family labour (11.74%) being significant costs. Costs increased with farm size across all crops. Cumin proved most profitable with an input-output ratio of 1:3.08, compared to fennel (1:1.48) and coriander (1:1.76) in the same period.

Assessing Economic Sustainability in Gujarat’s Cereal Sector: Trends in Costs, Prices, and MSP (2001 – 2022)

The data highlights the changes in MSP over the years for each cereal. It's evident that MSPs have generally increased over time, although the rates of increase vary among different crops and years. The correlation analysis provides valuable insights into the relationships between MSP, wholesale prices, farm harvest prices, and the cost of production. Strong positive correlations between these variables indicate significant interdependence within the agricultural market. Notable changes in increasing order in MSP (Minimum support price) was seen over years in all cereals. Years with negative values in excess of actual MSP over COP (Cost of Production) suggested farmers were not able to cover even COP and years with positive values suggested farmers were in profitable margin after covering COP. Cost and prices of all the selected cereals were having high correlation between MSP, WP (Wholesale Price), FHP (Farm Harvest Price), COP (C2) and COP (A2 + FL (Family Labour). Highest growth rate amongst the particulars was seen for MSP in pearl millet and lowest for COP (A2 + FL) in pearl millet. More variability was seen in MSP for pearl millet and low variability was seen in MSP for Wheat. Overall, analysis provides a comprehensive understanding of the agricultural landscape in Gujarat state.

Transformation of the farm segment of the aquaculture value chain in southern Bangladesh

Aquaculture in Bangladesh has experienced rapid growth over the last three decades, yet technological changes in the farming segment remains underexplored. To address this gap, we surveyed 721 farmers across seven districts in southern Bangladesh from November 2020 to February 2021. The result showed moderate growth in aquaculture, with an 11 % increase in farmers and a 15 % rise in waterbodies over the past decade. Farmers cultivated diverse aquatic species, with carp dominating production at 56 % followed by crustaceans (16 %) and tilapia (14 %). Shrimp are more highly susceptible to disease than fish and prawn but, only 19 % of farmers adopted measures to enhance survival. The study noted a shift from shrimp to prawn and from crustaceans to fish due to disease, market demand, and environmental factors, resulting in intensification and greater use of floating feed over the last decade. A mere 0.55 % of farmers reported losses, spoilage, or wastage during harvest or between harvest and sale of aquatic products, with the volume being minimal at just 0.52 %. Farming generated 401,536 full-time equivalent (FTE) on-jobs in the seven surveyed districts, predominantly for family labor. Aquaculture demonstrates strong profitability, with an average benefit-cost ratio (BCR) of 1.98, indicating nearly a twofold return on investment. This study highlights the evolving dynamics of aquaculture in southern Bangladesh, revealing modest growth, increased species diversification, and shifts in production practices, which underscore the sector's profitability and need for improved technological adoption on a global scale.

Combine harvester outsourcing services and seasonal rural non‐farm employment in Myanmar

AbstractPrior research on mechanization outsource services has not explored seasonal variations in drivers and outcomes of adoption by smallholders. These omissions are important because seasonality of crop cultivation may influence intensity of demand for machines, while seasonality of demand for non‐farm labor may influence the availability and cost of agricultural workers and the opportunity costs of on‐farm self‐employment. We analyze seasonal correlates of combine harvester outsource service use in Myanmar. Surprisingly, adoption is not associated with lower labor costs or higher net margins from paddy cultivation. Rather, using combines releases family labor into more remunerative dry season non‐farm employment.

Influence of livelihood assets on biodiversity and household food security in tropical homegardens along urbanisation gradients

Abstract By 2050, 70% of the global population will reside in urban areas, raising concerns about food security and biodiversity loss. Tropical homegardens, a form of agroforestry, may have the potential to align concurrent demands for biodiversity conservation and food security in urban environments. Nevertheless, this depends on land-use decision-making strategies that are enabled by household livelihood assets. We examined which livelihood assets are associated with homegarden agrobiodiversity and food availability and accessibility in Kerala, India, the nature of these associations, and whether they vary along urbanisation gradients using data from 304 homegardens. We observed higher plant species richness closer to the urban centre and in smaller homegardens. Meanwhile, yields and share of household food consumption from homegardens tend to be higher farther away from urban centres. Assets like fertilizer use, irrigation and kinship affiliation are positively associated with both homegarden agrobiodiversity and food outcomes. Conversely, homegarden size is negatively associated with biodiversity outcomes across urbanisation gradients and positively associated with yield outcomes furthest away from urban centre. Some assets like family labour and farming association membership were only positively associated with food outcomes, while others like external labour availability were positively associated only with plant diversity in the urban centre. Overall, synergies between homegarden agrobiodiversity and household food security requires inputs to natural processes, such as irrigation and soil fertility, and social processes like knowledge sharing and social cohesion, especially in urban peripheries. We emphasize the relevance of homegardens and enhancing livelihood assets for food-secure households in biodiverse urban environments.

I am just a sister: a field study on sister as mother role from Guangdong, China.

This study aimed to explore sister-as-mother (jieximuzhi) roles in families after the implementation of China's universal two-child (quanmianerhai) and three-child policies (saihaizhengce). By conducting in-depth interviews with 10 sisters from Guangdong Province who fit the sister-motherhood profile, this study investigated their motivations for taking on maternal duties, the characteristics of sister-motherhood roles, and the impact of these roles on the sisters. The results revealed that in families with two or more children, sisters passively assume mother-like responsibilities primarily due to biological age differences and parental neglect, as well as their personal initiative to a certain extent. Additionally, the impact of sister-motherhood roles on sisters includes aspects such as time pressure, financial strain, and increased family intimacy. This study elucidated the phenomenon of sister-motherhood roles that emerge with changes in family structure in China while recognizing the diversity of women's roles within the family, appreciating the challenges faced by sisters in sister-motherhood roles, and providing insights into family labor division and education models.

Perceived loneliness: Why are Syrian refugees more lonely than other newly arrived migrants in Germany?

Migration often impacts the mental and emotional health of those needing to move from their home countries. Studies have focused on migrants’ levels of distress or well-being, and recent research looks at older migrants’ experience with loneliness. What has yet to be researched is how different migrant groups experience loneliness, and how these feelings are affected by the contexts of leaving one country and reception in another. Drawing on the theoretical framework of integration, this article asks whether newly arrived refugees in Germany differ in their perception of loneliness from other newly arrived migrants. It examines these perceptions as related to social contacts and the context—and interplay—of exit and reception. Using OLS regressions with data from the Recent Immigration Processes and Early Integration Trajectories in Germany (ENTRA) project, we find that Syrian refugees have higher levels of loneliness than migrant groups from Poland, Italy, and Turkey. The difference is largely attributable to Syrians not having local German contacts, surviving traumatic experiences at home, and migrating specifically for physical safety. We also find that discrimination and not being in the labor force are determinants of loneliness across all four groups, and that even when considering migrant origins and other effects, having local social contacts lowers levels of loneliness. Our results point to migration policies, such as those related to family reunification and labor market access, for producing inequalities in loneliness between Syrian refugees and other migrants in Germany.

Changing Attitudes? Investigating the Link between Couples’ Pandemic Behavior, Cognitive Dissonance, and Gender Role Attitudes in Germany

Abstract Research found that not only macro-level processes like cohort replacements foster gender role attitude (GRA) change, but also life events and changes in lived realities. Framing the COVID-19 pandemic as a ‘natural experiment’ allows to reduce endogeneity when examining the association between emerging cognitive dissonance and GRA change. Estimating asymmetrical fixed effects regressions, I investigate the influence of changes in the division of family labor on GRAs for respondents with no pre-pandemic attitude-behavior discrepancy, using pairfam waves 11 and 13. Indeed, changes in behavior for respondents who had aligned behaviors and attitudes before the pandemic can be associated with GRA adaptation: A change toward an egalitarian division of family labor during the pandemic can be associated with more egalitarian GRAs. Likewise, a change toward an inegalitarian division can be associated with less egalitarian GRAs. These findings support the usefulness of cognitive dissonance as one explanatory mechanism for intra-individual attitudinal change.

Understanding the Abandonment of Aquaculturists: A Case in the Amazon (North of Brazil)

Despite the huge potential of aquaculture in the Amazon, several producers have abandoned the activity due to a lack of assistance, technology, and innovation. Thus, the objective of this study was to identify factors that have contributed to the withdrawal of aquaculturists from the municipality of ‘Vigia de Nazaré’, state of Pará (Northern Region of Brazil). This case study took place in 2022 through a quanti-qualitative survey, applying structured questionnaires to former aquaculturists. A total of 30 fish farms were investigated, with 11 of them being abandoned. They are distributed across 10 rural communities that have developed fish farming, with ‘Vila de Itapuá’ (18.2%) being the most representative. When active, fish farming was practiced by men (100%) aged between 51 to 60 years (54.5%) with an incomplete primary education (100%), who carried out the activity for an average of 5 years (81.8%), quitting fish farming between the years 2019 and 2020 (72.7%). All former aquaculturists owned small properties, with excavated ponds in an extensive system and used family labor. The absence of technical assistance and the high cost of feed were pointed out as the main problems in the production chain. It is worth noting that the monoculture of Tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) accounted for 63.6% of the species produced in rural communities. In conclusion, former aquaculturists express the desire to return to fish farming due to its socio-economic importance. For this, government actions supporting technical assistance and advanced studies in fish nutrition by educational, research, and extension institutions are necessary.

Economic Analysis of Major Crops in Jammu Division of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India

This micro-economic study focuses on the cost and returns analysis for major crops (wheat, paddy, and maize) in the districts of Jammu, Kathua, and Samba in the Jammu division. Conducted at SKUAST, Jammu during 2023, the study utilized a multistage random sampling method to achieve its objectives. Data was collected from 360 sample farmers, covering aspects such as land-holding size, costs, and return structures. The costs associated with crop cultivation varied pointedly across the districts, with Samba incurring ₹14272.57 for Cost A2 and ₹33023.58 for Cost C3 which was the highest of overall costs. Jammu had the highest main-product yield of 25.22 quintals and by-product yield of 32.70 quintals. Jammu also recorded the highest fixed costs (₹13488.30) whereas the highest total cost was in Samba with ₹30021.43. Gross returns were highest in Jammu with ₹68303.22, resulting in net returns of ₹38740.29. Jammu also had the highest benefit-cost ratio of 1:2.30, as well as the highest family labor income and farm business income (₹41755.29 and ₹43060.92, respectively). The rental value of owned land (Cost B2) suggestively impacted final costs, and Jammu district emerged as the most economically favorable for major crop cultivation. Overall, it depicted the possible profitability from cultivation of major crops like wheat, paddy and maize, that may encourage the farming community specially the youngsters to choose agriculture over private sectors, which would ultimately contribute to meet the state demand as well as contribution to SGDP.

Typology of Production Units for Improving Banana Agronomic Management in Ecuador

Ecuador is one of the world’s leading banana exporters; however, low productivity resulting from inadequate agronomic management requires an analysis of banana production units. This study aimed to define the types of banana production units based on the different agronomic management practices adopted by producers in two Ecuadorian provinces. Data from the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC) for 2021 were used, with a sample of 319 production units. Principal component and cluster analyses were applied to identify the different types of production units, resulting in four types: high technology conventional (Cluster 1), balanced conventional (Cluster 2), intensive conventional (Cluster 3), and agroecological (Cluster 4). It is important to highlight that 58% of the production units are intensive conventional and use an average of 3.5 management practices, with 98% using fertilizers, 100% using fungicides and pesticides, and 45% using improved genotypes. In contrast, agroecological production is still incipient in Ecuador (4.7%). Regression analysis showed that waste is important in high-yield production units in the three clusters. In addition, Cluster 2 relied on regional factors, family labor, and irrigation efficiency, while in intensive conventional farms (Cluster 3), banana yield was related to fungicide application. Therefore, public policies should be customized according to cluster-specific characteristics to optimize agronomic management practices and facilitate their transfer among groups.

Motherhood and Employment in China: Gender Asymmetries in Multi-Generational Families

Abstract Prior studies have shown a negative effect of motherhood on women’s post-maternal employment, yet few have examined how the motherhood employment penalty may vary by living arrangements. Using data from the 2010–2018 waves of the China Family Panel Studies, we applied fixed-effects linear probability models to examine the effects of the number and age of children on the employment status of Chinese women and how multi-generational living arrangements moderate these effects. The results show that motherhood significantly reduces women’s likelihood of labor force participation. A woman’s coresidence with her natal mother significantly mitigates the motherhood employment penalty, especially in urban China. In contrast, coresidence with only her father or father-in-law does not reduce the penalty. These findings indicate that there is a gendered intergenerational division of labor in Chinese extended families and highlight the importance of considering gender asymmetries in multi-generational relations in understanding mothers’ labor market decisions.

Challenges of Smallholder Farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Perspective from Roger Thurow's, The Last Hunger Season

Small holder farmers are the small-scale farmers who own the land from one hectare to less than ten hectares. These farmers often depend on the family labour for farming activities, and a significant portion of their production is used to support their own livelihoods. Africa is a region where eighty percent of the farmland is cultivated and food is produced by small holders, yet they face multiple obstacles in sustaining their routine. The death rate of children is increasing due to poverty and malnutrition. Major challenges include the lack of sustainable agricultural practices, insufficient planting techniques, inadequate access to fertilizers and markets, water scarcity, and the impacts of climate change. The author aims to raise awareness about global hunger and the importance of long-term viability and economic development. He delves into the lives of small farmers, revealing the complexities of market failures, food insecurity, and the inability to access modern agricultural tools. The author also highlights the efforts of organizations and initiatives, such as One Acre Fund, which provide farmers with high-quality seeds and fertilizers on credit, and require them to attend local farming classes. This paper focuses on the challenges faced by smallholder farmers in Africa, as depicted by Roger Thurow in "The Last Hunger Season”. The objective of the study is to emphasize the need for awareness and policy interventions, including family planning and literacy programs, to empower rural communities, achieve food security and improve economic resilience in the face of population growth and agricultural challenges.

De- and repeasantisation through wolves: a political ecology of predator-friendly farming

While wolves are often described as 'ecological engineers', this article reframes the image of this predator as a socioecological engineer. Adopting a more-than-human political ecology perspective, I highlight the imbrication of wolf agency with the political economy of farming in co-shaping processes of agrarian change in Tuscany, Italy. A multispecies ethnography elucidates how wolves are simultaneously contributing to and undermining a modernization of sheep husbandry practices in the region. This entanglement of wolf agency in processes of de- and re-peasantization is politically relevant, affecting human-wolf relations and local levels of conflict. Through their return, wolves are necessitating shifts in farming practices and affecting the topology of agricultural landscapes, favoring either an intensification of husbandry regimes (i.e., more sheep raised indoors) or a greater competitiveness of family-led free-ranging farms with a high availability of family labor. Emphasizing this aspect is important to politicize current discussions surrounding coexistence, and supports the rise of practices that are considered to be most socially, culturally, and ecologically valuable. A focus on wolf agency in this case entails 'thinking with' wolves in co-designing alternative (co)existences, providing a more nuanced understanding of socioecological change and human-wolf relations. This article informs critical scholarship on the value of moving beyond dualist lenses while still maintaining a focus on structural processes. These are an important though not unidirectional force of change. Reframing wolves as socioecological engineers calls for further research exploring such entanglements of human and non-human agencies in the coproduction of agrarian change and human-wildlife relations.

Listed founding family firms and labor cost stickiness#

AbstractDoes founding family control affect labor cost stickiness? Theoretically, labor cost stickiness is a double‐sided sword: While it can be interpreted as long‐term commitment to employees, it increases operating leverage, reduces operating performance, and thus jeopardizes long‐term firm survival. Empirically, we find that—consistent with socioemotional wealth theory suggesting that founding family firms are more employee oriented—founding family firms exhibit greater labor costs stickiness. The pattern is more pronounced in industries with high labor turnover and high labor intensity. Furthermore, we find that abnormal high labor cost stickiness in family firms reduces profitability and non‐labor investments.

Digitalization and alternative marketing channels in the Uruguayan fruit and vegetable chain

This study aims to delve into the potentials and difficulties of digitalization on the real commercial experience of some of the fundamental actors in the Uruguayan fruit and vegetable chain (producers, merchants, intermediaries, consumers, and private and public technicians). For that, these social actors and their projects were described and consulted in search of appreciations or points of view regarding technical innovations, barriers to commercialization, family labor, public policies, pressure for land use, and other complex problems. Through a “snowball sampling”, carrying out semi-structured questionnaires for more than 4 months from INIA Las Brujas, we obtained information mainly from actors in the south and some points in the northwest and east-central Uruguay. Opinions come from the complexity of people in their different roles, with the expected emergence of tensions and contradictions at different moments of the participatory-action research. We could appreciate that the Fourth and Fifth Industrial Revolution are having a significant impact in the Uruguayan fruit and vegetable chain. Digital technology is providing new tools for marketing such as: electronic commerce platforms, mobile applications, traceability and monitoring technologies for data analysis, etc. Support in this transformation comes both from private initiatives and public projects, some of which are outlined. We discuss some causes of digitalization disparities and some solutions, debating the role of each one of the represented actors and their possibilities of change.