Tenant farming is when a farmer rents or leases land from a landowner. It can be beneficial to both parties when organized fairly. However, historically, it was often exploitative towards the farmer. Over time, the arrangement has become fairer and tenant laws have been passed to protect tenants. In some areas, tenant farming remains risky for the tenant.
A tenant farmer is a farmer who rents or leases the land he works on. When organized fairly, the relationship benefits both the farmer and the landowner. The landowner receives the necessary income from the rent and the farmer has access to land that he would otherwise not have. Such agreements date back to the Middle Ages.
At the same time, tenant farming was not beneficial to the farmer. In the Middle Ages, serfs cultivated the land belonging to the nobility. Although the arrangement was presented as a way to earn a living for the tenant farmer, the landowner often charged exorbitant rents and also kept most of the crops produced by the farm. The farmer was usually left with just enough to survive.
When European explorers discovered and colonized foreign lands, particularly in the United States and Australia, tenant farming became a way for people to pay the cost of immigration to new countries. Often called indentured servants, these immigrants agreed to provide labor for large farms and plantations when they arrived in their new country, if wealthy landowners paid their way. Hired employees usually did not receive a salary, and the cost of room and board while working was added to the ticket price. As a result, it often took many years to pay off the debt.
Over time, the arrangement evolved and became fairer. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, tenant farming was called “land sharing” because the tenant farmer and the landowner shared a share of the produce. Land sharing was common in the United States, Europe, and Australia. While most of the work and a minority of profits were still with the tenant, the arrangement was more balanced than in the past.
In the mid-1900s, tenant laws began to be passed in the United States, Europe, and Australia. These laws gave tenants additional protection and provided them with legal recourse in the event of landlord harassment or breach of contract. Today, tenant farming is common in many strong agricultural areas of the world. In developed areas, the arrangement is generally fair to the tenant and allows him access to land which he can cultivate as he pleases.
In less developed areas and areas where crime syndicates control agriculture, tenant farming arrangements remain risky for the tenant. Laws, where they exist, are less stringent and offer little protection to the tenant. In some cases, tenant service may even be involuntary.
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