The Rise of Large Farms in Land Abundant Countries: Do They Have a Future?

Klaus Deininger and Derek Byerlee

World Development, 2012, vol. 40, issue 4, 701-714

Abstract: Resurgent interest in agriculture raises issues about agrarian structure and the balance between large and small farms that have thus far been addressed mainly from a smallholder angle. We identify economic and policy factors that contributed to episodes of large farm growth, their impact, and ways in which these may have changed recently. An analysis of recent land demand from large investors suggests that greater clarity in the definition of property rights, attention to employment effects and technical viability, and mechanisms to re-allocate land from unsuccessful ventures to more productive entrepreneurs will be critical to facilitate better developmental outcomes.

Keywords: land tenure; farm size; agribusiness; factor endowments; Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (161)

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Chapter: The Rise of Large Farms in Land-Abundant Countries: Do They Have a Future? (2013)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:40:y:2012:i:4:p:701-714

DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2011.04.030

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