Current literature defines structural transformation as two simultaneous processes: (i) a shift away from agriculture into manufacturing and services and (ii) a shift in the organisation of labour from an occupational structure dominated by subsistence self-employment to one where the majority of the labour force works as employees in large firms. Importantly, the shift from self- to wage employment is also observed within the agricultural sector. However, the mechanisms underpinning the latter transformation process remain poorly understood. To address this gap, this project analyses the transformation of rural occupational structures induced by the shift from smallholder to commercial farming, and the extent to which this process is gendered.
The study uses data on the expansion of large-scale commercial farming in Senegal after 2000. It uses the Land Matrix database as an entry point for the data collection which provides data on large-scale land acquisitions for agriculture. To improve the consistency and extent of the data, the study conducts (i) remote sensing activities, and (ii) a survey on large-scale farms with ISRA-BAME as partner organisation in Senegal. The final spatial dataset and a total of 13 georeferenced DHS waves that collect information on employment are available between 1992 and 2019 for Senegal, build the basis for panel analysis.
Land acquisitions of private firms for large-scale agricultural projects continue to be a contentious policy issue, particularly in Africa, which is one of the main target regions. While the initial expectations remained largely unfulfilled due to limited employment and technological spillovers, investments in agriculture continue to be on the policy agenda of many countries. While the project focuses on Senegal, the project’s outcomes are expected to be also relevant for the policy discourses in other countries in the region with similar occupational structures and sectoral employment shares, especially as agricultural investments continue to take place across the subcontinent.
