Is Surplus Appropriated Differently in Cereals, Cocoa and Cattle Production? A Systematic Literature Analysis of Class Relations in West African Farming Systems

Abstract

This paper synthesizes and systematizes existing empirical knowledge on agrarian class relations in West Africa. It contributes to the debate on agrarian transitions, which largely neglects coexisting diverse forms of class relations in land, labour and capital markets, and how these are interrelated with different agricultural production processes. Based on a systematic review of 196 published articles, we developed a typology of class relations, which we then used to analyse linkages between forms of class relations and production processes in three agricultural activities, namely, arable crops, tree crops and (agro-)pastoral ruminant herds. The paper highlights the relevance of specific farming practices as well as herd and plot level analysis for agrarian political economy. Class relations and farming practices are intertwined and mutually dependent. We do not only identify class relations specific to certain agricultural activities, but we also outlined how farming systems and class relations coevolve over time.