Destination or Distraction? Querying the Linkage between Off-farm Income and Farm Investments in Kenya

Melinda Smale (), Yoko Kusunose, Mary K. Mathenge and Didier Alia ()

No 196829, Food Security International Development Working Papers from Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics

Abstract: Off-farm earnings account for a substantial and growing share of household income among smallholder farmers in most of Sub-Saharan Africa, but evidence concerning the effects of these earnings on investment in food production remains sparse. Conceptually, some factors may push farm families to send members in search of cash to relieve expenditure constraints or serve to meet consumption needs under duress; other factors pull members of rural households toward the promise of steady, dependable income. Previously published research suggests that the search for off-farm income has a negative impact on farm investments.

Keywords: Agricultural and Food Policy; Food Security and Poverty (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 37
Date: 2014-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-afr and nep-agr
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:midiwp:196829

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.196829

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