Tied to the Land: Living Conditions of Labourers on Large Farms in Trans Nzoia District, Kenya (African Studies from the Netherlands)

Tellegen, Nina,Foeken, Dick

ISBN 10: 1856289133 / ISBN 13: 9781856289139

Published by Routledge, 1995

About this Item

Seller Inventory # mon0000251462

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Tied to the Land: Living Conditions of Labourers on Large Farms in Trans Nzoia District, Kenya (African Studies from the Netherlands)
• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication Date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1856289133
• ISBN 13: 9781856289139
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

For several years there has been an on-going debate about the economic and political implications of small versus large-scale farm production in developing countries. Much of the literature provides information on productivity, sales and profits of farms of various sizes. However, little is known about the main contributors to the production of crops on large-scale units: the farm labourers. This book examines the living conditions of farm labourers in Trans Nzoia, one of Kenya’s large-scale farming districts. Based on a study conducted in 1989 among large farmers and farm labourers, an overview is given of wages, provisions, the various sources of income, the importance of social networks and the nutritional status of different groups of farm labourers. From the data presented it appears that the extent to which households depend on the large farm owners for their livelihood largely determines their economic position. But the interdependency has its costs. The more the labourers’ households are tied to the land of the farm owner for both income and own food production, the more difficulties they face in satisfying even their basic needs.

About the Author

Dick Foeken is head of the department of social and economic studies of the African Studies Centre.