Sharecropping is an agreement between a tenant and a landlord where the tenant works a plot of land in exchange for giving away part of the crop. The terms vary, and it can be a fair arrangement or a form of servitude. Sharecropping was used extensively in the US until the 1930s. It can be beneficial for landlords and tenants, but the fairness depends on the contract and laws. Joint ownership can also include contracts like joint milking, but some argue it concentrates land ownership in the hands of a few.
Sharecropping is an agreement between a tenant and a landlord in which a tenant farmer can work a plot of land in exchange for giving away part of the crop. Numerous cultures have a history of sharecropping in their agricultural past, and some nations continue to allow this agricultural practice. The conditions in which sharecroppers work are quite variable. In some regions, this practice is a form of servitude that borders on unauthorized use, while in others it is a fair arrangement that can even empower the farmer.
The terms of a sharecropping contract vary. The farmer may keep one third to one half of the crop and is usually required to provide equipment and seeds. Landlords may rent or sell supplies, sometimes at high cost and on credit, and in some cases a sharecropper ends the year in the red because he is unable to repay the credit. In lean years, the ability to keep some of the crop keeps the sharecropper from starving, but selling the crop may not generate enough income for the farmer to save money or cover household expenses.
In the United States, sharecropping was used extensively from the end of the Civil War until the 1930s. Sharecropping rose to prominence during the Depression, when artists and writers extensively documented the practice. Sharecroppers in the United States could be trapped on their land due to abusive credit agreements, often lacked access to an education, and were rarely able to save enough to purchase land on their own.
From the landlord’s point of view, sharecropping can be beneficial because it provides landlords with a constant source of crops for sale from tenants who tend the land themselves. The landowner does not need to pay staff or maintain supplies to work the land, which reduces overhead costs. For tenants, sharecropping can be a lucrative arrangement that also rewards them for hard work, as a bigger harvest means higher income. The fairness of the agreement depends a lot on the clauses of the contract, on the ability of the farmer and on the laws that protect the sharecroppers.
Joint ownership more generally can also include contracts for things like joint milking, where a farmer raises dairy cows on leased land and the landlord accepts dairy products in payment. Some critics argue that such arrangements have a tendency to concentrate land ownership in the hands of a few, while farmers who enrich lands belonging to other people receive little benefit.
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