The economic well-being of smallholders and challenges during COVID-19 pandemic: A review

Nurul Atiqah Binti Mohd Suib, Norlida Hanim Mohd Salleh and Mohd Fazim Ahmad
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Nurul Atiqah Binti Mohd Suib: Center for Sustainable and Inclusive Development Studies, Faculty of Economics and Management, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia
Norlida Hanim Mohd Salleh: Center for Sustainable and Inclusive Development Studies, Faculty of Economics and Management, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia
Mohd Fazim Ahmad: Center for Sustainable and Inclusive Development Studies, Faculty of Economics and Management, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia

Agricultural Economics, 2023, vol. 69, issue 1, 35-44

Abstract: The challenges smallholders face in agricultural management between developed and developing countries differ and can also impact the smallholder's well-being. The purpose of this study is to identify factors that affect the well-being of smallholders. We conducted a systematic literature by applying the Preferred Reported Item for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) and extracted 30 articles from Scopus and Web of Science. These articles show three main factors that drive well-being: technology, optimal resource, and insurance, and two additional factors: market pricing and tax policy. Findings show that all the above factors will first impact economic well-being and, subsequently, social well-being. When COVID-19 struck, the smallholder's well-being was also affected in addition to the destabilised food chain. Travel restrictions have led to a labour shortage. The smallholders had to turn to e-commerce to sell their products. They also incurred losses and experienced difficulties in procuring agricultural intermediate inputs. The absence of agricultural insurance worsened the impact on the well-being of the smallholders. To safeguard the well-being of these smallholders, the study suggests that stakeholders should encourage local labour participation, increase investment in human capital, adopt e-commerce in marketing, offer agricultural insurance schemes against various disasters and continuously provide or increase subsidies to smallholders.

Keywords: developed countries; developing countries; impact; systematic literature review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:caa:jnlage:v:69:y:2023:i:1:id:344-2022-agricecon

DOI: 10.17221/344/2022-AGRICECON

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