Large-scale agricultural investments and contract farming in Tanzania: A systematic review on the livelihoods, food security and ecological implications

In the past decade, contract farming has re-emerged due to the increased opposition to large-scale land acquisitions in many developing countries. During this era, contract farming has been promoted as an inclusive alternative to land grabbing that could help farmers retain their land, and an inclus...

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Main Authors: Gabriel Kanuti Ndimbo, Evaristo Haulle
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-12-01
Series:Journal of Agriculture and Food Research
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154324005519
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author Gabriel Kanuti Ndimbo
Evaristo Haulle
author_facet Gabriel Kanuti Ndimbo
Evaristo Haulle
author_sort Gabriel Kanuti Ndimbo
collection DOAJ
description In the past decade, contract farming has re-emerged due to the increased opposition to large-scale land acquisitions in many developing countries. During this era, contract farming has been promoted as an inclusive alternative to land grabbing that could help farmers retain their land, and an inclusive business model could help link smallholder farmers to the markets, helping alleviate poverty and promote rural development. Guided by the PRISMA protocols, this article reviews the implications of large-scale agricultural investments (LSAIs) and contract farming on Tanzania's rural livelihoods, food security, and the environment. The study found little evidence of LSAIs and contract farming's contribution to improving rural livelihoods and food security. LSAIs and contract farming exacerbate the ‘dispossession from below’ by accelerating land transfer from poor to rich farmers, suggesting that the schemes do not largely benefit the poor. The schemes have increased pressure on land between outsiders and indigenous farmers and declined the land size used to produce food crops, affecting local food security. The excessive use of synthetic inputs, clearing forests for LSAIs, and contract farming lead to ecological degradation. The study highlights the importance of ensuring LSAIs and contract farming schemes are more sustainable, inclusive and responsible investments.
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spelling doaj-art-ae8bbf411289422da0440ee2f83cac8c2025-08-20T02:35:53ZengElsevierJournal of Agriculture and Food Research2666-15432024-12-011810151410.1016/j.jafr.2024.101514Large-scale agricultural investments and contract farming in Tanzania: A systematic review on the livelihoods, food security and ecological implicationsGabriel Kanuti Ndimbo0Evaristo Haulle1Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Mkwawa University College of Education, P.O Box 2513, Iringa, Tanzania; Corresponding author.Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Mkwawa University College of Education, P.O Box 2513, Iringa, Tanzania; Mwalimu Nyerere Memorial Academy, Dar es Salaam, TanzaniaIn the past decade, contract farming has re-emerged due to the increased opposition to large-scale land acquisitions in many developing countries. During this era, contract farming has been promoted as an inclusive alternative to land grabbing that could help farmers retain their land, and an inclusive business model could help link smallholder farmers to the markets, helping alleviate poverty and promote rural development. Guided by the PRISMA protocols, this article reviews the implications of large-scale agricultural investments (LSAIs) and contract farming on Tanzania's rural livelihoods, food security, and the environment. The study found little evidence of LSAIs and contract farming's contribution to improving rural livelihoods and food security. LSAIs and contract farming exacerbate the ‘dispossession from below’ by accelerating land transfer from poor to rich farmers, suggesting that the schemes do not largely benefit the poor. The schemes have increased pressure on land between outsiders and indigenous farmers and declined the land size used to produce food crops, affecting local food security. The excessive use of synthetic inputs, clearing forests for LSAIs, and contract farming lead to ecological degradation. The study highlights the importance of ensuring LSAIs and contract farming schemes are more sustainable, inclusive and responsible investments.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154324005519Large-scale agricultural investmentsContract farmingRural livelihoodsFood securityEcological degradation
spellingShingle Gabriel Kanuti Ndimbo
Evaristo Haulle
Large-scale agricultural investments and contract farming in Tanzania: A systematic review on the livelihoods, food security and ecological implications
Journal of Agriculture and Food Research
Large-scale agricultural investments
Contract farming
Rural livelihoods
Food security
Ecological degradation
title Large-scale agricultural investments and contract farming in Tanzania: A systematic review on the livelihoods, food security and ecological implications
title_full Large-scale agricultural investments and contract farming in Tanzania: A systematic review on the livelihoods, food security and ecological implications
title_fullStr Large-scale agricultural investments and contract farming in Tanzania: A systematic review on the livelihoods, food security and ecological implications
title_full_unstemmed Large-scale agricultural investments and contract farming in Tanzania: A systematic review on the livelihoods, food security and ecological implications
title_short Large-scale agricultural investments and contract farming in Tanzania: A systematic review on the livelihoods, food security and ecological implications
title_sort large scale agricultural investments and contract farming in tanzania a systematic review on the livelihoods food security and ecological implications
topic Large-scale agricultural investments
Contract farming
Rural livelihoods
Food security
Ecological degradation
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154324005519
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AT evaristohaulle largescaleagriculturalinvestmentsandcontractfarmingintanzaniaasystematicreviewonthelivelihoodsfoodsecurityandecologicalimplications