Working Poor? A Study of Rural Workers' Economic Welfare in Kenya

This study employs a mixed methods approach to investigate the poverty reduction potential of large-scale farm employment in Kenya. A long-run time series of real agricultural wages is created. The quantitative data are supplemented by life-story interviews of agricultural workers. The analysis suggests that large-scale farm employment can serve as a route out of deep poverty. However, to prevent wages from falling below the subsistence level, there is a need for a balanced rural development strategy whereby investments in smallholder agriculture and skills upgrades accompany the expansion of commercial agriculture. (c) 2020 The Authors. Journal of International Development published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd