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Working Poor? A Study of Rural Workers' Economic Welfare in Kenya
Author(s) -
Fibaek Maria Mwaipopo
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of international development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.533
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1099-1328
pISSN - 0954-1748
DOI - 10.1002/jid.3511
Subject(s) - subsistence agriculture , poverty , agriculture , welfare , poverty reduction , economics , economic growth , scale (ratio) , rural poverty , business , agricultural economics , labour economics , development economics , geography , market economy , cartography , archaeology
This study employs a mixed methods approach to investigate the poverty reduction potential of large‐scale farm employment in Kenya. A long‐run time series of real agricultural wages is created. The quantitative data are supplemented by life‐story interviews of agricultural workers. The analysis suggests that large‐scale farm employment can serve as a route out of deep poverty. However, to prevent wages from falling below the subsistence level, there is a need for a balanced rural development strategy whereby investments in smallholder agriculture and skills upgrades accompany the expansion of commercial agriculture. © 2020 The Authors. Journal of International Development published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd