A study case on coffee (Coffea arabica): Limu Coffe - IRD
A study case on coffee (Coffea arabica): Limu Coffe - IRD
A study case on coffee (Coffea arabica): Limu Coffe - IRD
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4.4) Smallholders’ typology<br />
The household is seen as a single decisi<strong>on</strong> maker (Ellis, 2000 and Upt<strong>on</strong>, 1996). The<br />
bulk of households are male headed, but, as it appears in various data, few female headed<br />
households exist 35 . The term “smallholders” tends to be abusive pointing out a single<br />
producer’s category whereas some are actually smaller and others bigger. One of the different<br />
factors revealing farmers poverty level is the farmers’ dependency and focus <strong>on</strong> <strong>coffee</strong><br />
producti<strong>on</strong>, as a sign of strategies’ diversificati<strong>on</strong> of income generati<strong>on</strong>. Sources of income 36<br />
could be differentiated in three categories (Urich, 2005):<br />
- Farm activities and incomes: crop, livestock and chat producti<strong>on</strong>;<br />
- Off-farm activities and incomes: <strong>coffee</strong> and h<strong>on</strong>ey producti<strong>on</strong>;<br />
- N<strong>on</strong>-farm activities and incomes.<br />
According to the distributi<strong>on</strong> of these activities and the disposable income 37 , studies<br />
agree to differentiate small-scale farmers into poor, middle and better-off farmers in order to<br />
remind the multiplicity of farmers’ types rather than to give objective c<strong>on</strong>cepts. Anyway,<br />
<strong>coffee</strong> producti<strong>on</strong> remains of highest importance even for better-off households and the great<br />
majority of the farmers c<strong>on</strong>centrate <strong>on</strong> the producti<strong>on</strong> of crops, livestock and <strong>coffee</strong>. It has to<br />
be c<strong>on</strong>sidered that incomes differently generated are differently c<strong>on</strong>tributing to the household<br />
ec<strong>on</strong>omy. For example, livestock is the farmers’ bank account and a security as animals can<br />
be capitalized very fast at any time of the year in <str<strong>on</strong>g>case</str<strong>on</strong>g> of urgent need for cash. Whereas all<br />
other agricultural producti<strong>on</strong>s accrue at <strong>on</strong>e time of the year <strong>on</strong>ly. The single event of income<br />
generati<strong>on</strong> doesn’t go in line with the all year demand for cash. And <strong>coffee</strong> or chat is income<br />
oriented. A great deal of cash earned through <strong>coffee</strong> producti<strong>on</strong> is invested in livestock<br />
enlargement (Urich, 2005). So, accumulati<strong>on</strong> of livestock is bank account oriented whereas<br />
crop intensificati<strong>on</strong> is mainly subsistence oriented. <strong>Coffe</strong>e, not subsistence oriented, is the<br />
typical surplus producti<strong>on</strong>. Some households are much diversified, as model farmers 38<br />
, facing<br />
<strong>coffee</strong> crisis through the development of their other activities while <strong>coffee</strong> prices decrease<br />
35<br />
Refer 6.2.1) Woreda’s <strong>coffee</strong> rules: <strong>Limu</strong> Kosa woreda.<br />
36<br />
Refer Annex Sources of income.<br />
37<br />
Remaining income after the household has met its food needs.<br />
38<br />
Pointed out as model farmers by the woreda agricultural extensi<strong>on</strong> services because they take the innovati<strong>on</strong><br />
applying Ministry policies of diversificati<strong>on</strong> and extensi<strong>on</strong> and spread it to their farmers’ envir<strong>on</strong>ment.<br />
54