Peasant Economics: Farm Households in Agrarian Development

331 Pages·1994·51.98 MB·English

by  Frank Ellis

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This is a revised and expanded edition of a popular textbook on the
economicsoffarm householdsindevelopingcountries.Thesecondedition
retains thesame building blocksdesigned toexplore household decision-
.
making in a socialcontext Key topicsarcefficiency, risk, timeallocation,
gender,agrariancontracts,farmsizeand technical change.For theseand
other topics household economic behaviour represents the outcome of
social interactionswithin the household,and market interactions outside
the household. A new chapter on the environment combines exposition
of economic tools not previously covered in the book with examination
-
ofhouseholdandcommunitydecision makinginrelationtoenvironmental
resources.
-
The book is designed to be accessible to the non specialist reader
as well as to students of agricultural economics and related topics
concernedwithagriculturaldevelopmentandagrarianchangeindeveloping
countries.
UA £
WYESTUDIESIN AGRICULTURAL ANDRURAL
DEVELOPMENT
Solving the problemsofagriculturaland ruraldevelopment in poorercountries
requires,amongoilier things,sufficient numbersof well-trainedandskilled
professionals Tohelpmeet the need for topicalandeffectiveteaching materials
in thisarea, the booksin thescriesarcdesigned for useby teachers,students
and practitionersof the panningand managementofagriculturaland rurul
development.Thescriesis being developed in association with theinnovative
postgraduate progiammein Agricultural DeveLyment forexternalstudentsof
the University of London.
Theseriesconcentrateson the principles,techniquesandapplicationsof
policy analysis,planningand implementationofagriculturaland rural
development.Textsreview and synthesiseexistingknowledgeand highlight
current issues,combiningacademicrigour and.topicality with aconcern for
practicalapplications.Most importantly,the s fic*providessimultaneouslya
systematicbailsfor teachingand >tudy.a meansof updating the knowledgeof
workersin lEe Held,andasourceof ideasfor thoseinvolvein planning
development.
Editorial Board
Allan Rockwell,Professorof Agricultural Economics,WyeCollege
.
Ian Carrutbers Professorof Agrarian Development,WyeCollege
DrJonathan Kydtl,Lecturer in Agricultural Economics.\V>eCollege
ProfessorJohnPrescott.Principalof WyeCollege
Also Inthe.varies
NielsRciling Extensionscience:informationsystemsinagriculturaldevelopment
RobertChambei> Managingcanalirrigation:practicalanalysisfromSouthAsia
David ColmanandTrevor Young Principlesof agriculturalctanomies:
marketsand prices inlessdevelopedcountries
-
LeslieSmall and Ian (arruthers Farmerfinancedirrigation theeconomicsof
reform
Frank Ellis Agriculturalpoliciesindeveloping countries
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Peasant economics
FARM HOUSEHOLDS
AND AGRARIAN DEVELOPMENT
FRANK ELLIS
Reader,Schoolof DevelopmentStudies,Universityof East Anglkt
Second edition
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CAMBRIDGE
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UNIVERSITY PRESS
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10StamfordRoad,Oakleigh,Melbourne3166.Australia
OCambridgeUniversityPress1088,1903
Thisbookisincopyright.Subjecttostatutoryexception %
andtotheprovisionsofrelevantcollectivelicensingagreements,
noreproductionofany partmaytakeplacewithout
thewrittenpermissionofCambridgeUniversityPress.
f irst published1988
Reprinted1989,1992
Secondedition1993
.
Reprinted1996 1998
PrintedintheUnitedKingdomattheUniversityPress,Cambridge
TypesetinTimes
AcataloguereconiforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary
ISBN0521457114papeiback
PR
To Jane, Clare and Josie
«
Contents
Preface 10the first edition xm
Prefacetothe second edition XVII
Pari 1 Peasants,economics, political economy
1 Peasants 3
Introduction 3
Peasant societies 5
The peasant farm household 7
Theeconomicdefinition of peasants 9
Family, household,and women 14
Summary 15
Further reading 15
2 The neoclassicaltheory of farm production 17
Farm decision making 17
The production function 18
Substitution between inputs 28
Enterprisechoice 33
Constrained production:thelinear programming approach 38
Summary 41
Further reading 44
1 F.lententsof peasant politicaleconomy 45
Peasantsand politicaleconomy 45
Conceptsin Marxian politicaleconomy 47
Application to peasant production 51
Peasantsand surplus 54
Peasantsand thestate 57
Summary 57
Further reading 59
x Contents
Part 11 The theory of the optimising peasant 61
63
4 The profi*t"m'*aximising peasant 65
Peasantsand economicefficiency 65
Allocative,technical,and economicefficiency 67
In pursuit of theefficient peasant 70
Policy aspects 76
Wider perspectives 78
Summary 80
Further reading 81
5 The risk-averse peasant 82
Uncertainty and peasants 82
Typesof uncertainty 83
Definitionsof risk and uncertainty 84
Analysis of risk behaviour 86
Expected utility and decision theory 90
Research into peasant risk behaviour 95
Policy aspects 99
Wider perspectives 101
Summary 102
Further reading 103
6 The drudgery-averse peasant 105
Peasantsasconsumersand producers 105
Revision of indifferencecurveanalysts 106
The Chayanov farm household model 109
Policy aspects 117
Wider perspectives 118
120
Summary
Further reading 121
7 The farmhousehold peasant 123
Householddecisions with a labour market 123
New homeeconomics 126
The Barnum Squirefarm household model 131
The Low farm household model 139
. 142
Policy aspects
AVftfcr perspectives 142
Summary 143
Fuithcr reading 145
8 The sharecropping peasant 146
Agrarian institutions and peasantsasshare tenants 146
Modelsof sharecropping 148
Risk,imperfect information and missing markets 153
Interlocked markets 156
Sharecroppingasexploitation 158