Abstract:
The commercialisation of subsistence farmers: a benefit or detriment to the poor?
The aim of this study is to understand if rural households in Swaziland are benefiting from
engaging in commercial outgrower schemes. The process of commercialising subsistence
farmers has been one of the government of Swaziland’s strategic attempts to lift rural
households out of poverty by raising their income levels. I explore some of the socioeconomic
factors that are imposed on rural households, bringing into question whether or
not this strategy is a viable poverty alleviation policy.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, agriculture has been central to economic development through the
promotion of the export of crops and raw material. Its profitable potential provides a
vehicle for using land in rural areas for poverty alleviation and rural development
strategies. Commercialising subsistence farmers has the potential to offer the prospect of
raising incomes, improving welfare, food security and nutritional status that could
otherwise have been worse. However, this transition (from subsistence to commercial) in
agricultural activities in rural communities can also have detrimental consequences such as
reduce income and threaten household food security. I therefore ask the question: How
have rural households benefited from engaging in commercial agriculture?
In this study I explore the process of commercialising subsistence farmers as a form of
rural development. To achieve this, I have carried out a case study analysis of a rural
community in Swaziland called Mafucula, which has currently been involved in the
commercial agriculture of sugarcane for the last six years. Empirical data was obtained
through semi-structured interviews with 30 households in this community. My findings
demonstrate that with six years into commercial agriculture, this community has not
benefited from this venture and continues to face the ongoing struggle of poverty.
