Connecting-Africa | Find publications

Advanced search

Find:


Title Can Enhancing Efficiency Promote the Economic Viability of Smallholder Farmers? A Case of Sierra Leone
Full text http://edoc.hu-berlin.de/18452/23694; http://dx.doi.org/10.18452/23016
Date 2021
Author(s) Saravia-Matus, Silvia; Amjath-Babu, T.S; Aravindakshan, Sreejith; Sieber, Stefan; Saravia, Jimmy A.; Gomez y Paloma, Sergio
Abstract By developing meta-frontier efficiency and structural equation models, the paper examines whether farm economic viability is positively associated with technical efficiency in a highly food insecure context, such as that of rural Sierra Leone. The findings show that technical efficiency can be a sufficient but not necessary condition in determining economic viability of smallholder farming. It is possible to breach reproductive thresholds at the cost of reduced technical efficiency, when the crop diversification strategy of smallholders includes market-oriented high-value crops. This calls for a dual policy approach that addresses farmers' internal needs for self-consumption (increasing efficiency of food crop production) while encouraging market-oriented cash crop production (diversification assisted through the reduction of associated transaction costs and the establishment of accessible commercialization channels of export related crops and/or high-value crops). The work also calls out for a move-up or move-out strategy for small holders to create viable farming systems in developing world. - Peer Reviewed
Subject(s) economic viability; technical efficiency; smallholder farmers; Sierra Leone; 333.7 Natürliche Resourcen, Energie und Umwelt; 690 Hausbau, Bauhandwerk; ddc:333; ddc:690
Language eng
Publisher Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Type of publication article; doc-type:article; publishedVersion
Format application/pdf
Rights (CC BY 4.0) Attribution 4.0 International; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Identifier urn:nbn:de:kobv:11-110-18452/23694-9; 10.3390/su13084235; 2071-1050
Repository Berlin - Humboldt University of Berlin
Added to C-A: 2021-06-28;09:49:15