Abstract
In Meru, Tanzania, changing land/labour ratios have, for over a century, been the main driving force in a farm intensification process. The construction and expansion of irrigation systems, increased use of farm inputs and transfer from low- to high-value agricultural crops have enabled smallholders to improve their land productivity. Technological change has been accompanied by institutional change, primarily in the form of changes to property right regimes and expanding markets. In the past few decades, increasing urban and rural demand has further enhanced smallholders' production strategies. By applying the induced innovation theory, this article captures and analyses the long-term incremental processes of change whereby endogenous technological and institutional innovations have led to farm intensification in the contemporary local system of agricultural smallholder production. Further, it shows how this process has been reinforced by improved access to market opportunities.
Notes
4. The primary data have been used for three other publications within the same project and by the same author: CitationHillbom, “Milking the Cash Cow”; CitationHillbom, “Market Institutions Benefitting Smallholders”; CitationHillbom, “Financial Institutions in an Embryonic Agricultural Transformation Process.”
42. Interview with oral history key informants, Meru, 2011; CitationLarsson, Between Crisis and Opportunity; CitationSpear Mountain Farmers.
44. Interview with oral history key informants, Meru, 2011; CitationLarsson, Between Crisis and Opportunity; CitationSpear Mountain Farmers.
45. Interviews with smallholders and key informants, Meru, 2011.
46. Questionnaire 2008–11.
47. Interview with oral history key informants, Meru, 2011; CitationPuritt, The Meru.
49. Interview Mr Lokissa, District Irrigation Officer, 1998.
51. Questionnaire 2008–11.
52. Interviews with smallholders, Meru 2011.
53. Interviews with smallholder, Meru, 2008–11.
54. Interviews with smallholders, Meru, 2011.
57. Interviews on oral history, Meru, 2009.
59. Questionnaire 2008–11.
60. Questionnaire sample 2008–11.
61. Interviews with coffee cooperative representatives, Meru, 2011.
62. Interviews with smallholders, Meru, 2011.
63. Questionnaire 2008–11.
64. Questionnaire 2008–11.
67. Questionnaire 2008–11.
68. Interviews with vegetable cooperative representatives and contract farmers, Meru, 2011.
69. Questionnaire 2008–11.
70. CitationHillbom, “Financial Institutions in an Embryonic Agricultural Transformation Process.”
71. Questionnaire 2008–11.
73. Interviews with coffee cooperative representatives and smallholders, Meru, 2011.
76. Interviews with smallholders, Meru, 2011.
79. Questionnaire 2008–11.
84. Questionnaire 2008–11.
85. Questionnaire 2008–11.
87. Questionnaire 2008–11.
88. Interviews, Meru, 2011.
89. Questionnaire 2008–11.
90. Interviews with key informants, Meru, 2011.
91. Questionnaire 2008–11.
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