Some Spatial Characteristics of Peasant Farming in Ethiopia

Abstract

contribution to the economy and the size of the labour forceit employs, mamfests considerable spatial variations. Since the spatialpatterns that developed so far were caused by the decision of peasants more tban by state "intervention, unlike what would be the future rural landscape, understandillg them as well as their causes is of significant historical and practical value. Based on these assumptions, this paper attempts to detennine the spatial distribution of crop land and the types and patterns of crops such as crops cultivated, crop belts, crop combinations and associatio lls. An attempt has also been made to determine the degree of concen tration of crops using common statistical methods such as coefficients of crop specialization and localization. As it is difficult to be definite on the causes of the spatial pattems only a hypothetical treatment of them is made in the last part of the paper.