Beyond Material Constraints: Exploring Farmers’ Social and Economic Profiles to Discuss Sustainable Farming Intensification Challenges in West and North Africa

This study explores the socioeconomic diversity among smallholder farmers in West and North Africa, focusing on the micro social structural conditions that drive sustainable farming in Africa. Data is from multistage survey data collection (2022-2023) by an EU-funded Horizon 2020 research project, targeted to smallholder farmers in 11 agroecological zones from 5 countries - Burkina Faso, Egypt, Ghana, Niger, and Tunisia. The analysis applies Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) to capture the multidimensional nature of socioeconomic status (SES), followed by cluster analysis to group farmers into distinct SES profiles. Three major profiles emerged: (1) large families engaged in subsistence farming and experiencing material deprivation; (2) smaller families with higher material comfort but low social capital; and (3) families with high social capital, access to technologies, and material well-being. The identified SES profiles go beyond common analyses that examine socioeconomic determinants in isolation, offering a more holistic understanding of real-life contexts. By capturing the intersection of material and social dimensions, these profiles provide a comprehensive framework to understand how different groups of farmers are positioned within their local contexts, revealing how varying levels of resources and social capital may potentially influence their capacity to adapt to and benefit from sustainable farming innovations. The empirical analysis underpins the discussion on the limitations of promoting sustainable agricultural intensification without considering the real living conditions of farmers and their families. This research contributes to the broader discourse on social transformations in agricultural development in developing countries, emphasizing the need for context-sensitive policies that address differential profiles of farmers and their material and social needs in balancing productivity, environmental health, and social welfare.