Farm household-economics and the design and impact of biological research in Southern Africa

Abstract

A farm-household economics approach is used to illuminate Mellor's labour constraint/rapid urbanization problem in the Southern African context. It is viewed as a rational decision by rural households to combine the benefits of indigenous land-use arrangements with the advantages of non-farm wage employment. The implications of this analysis for the design of technology consistent with the objectives and constraints of farm households are then discussed in relation to some general experiences in Southern Africa.