Summary
This paper addresses a critical methodological gap in farm typology construction by developing a generalised framework that clarifies and quantifies the subjective decisions inherent in categorising diverse smallholder farming systems, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The authors encapsulate their framework in an open-source RShiny application (TypologyGenerator) to facilitate transparent, reproducible typology development for users conducting farm characterisation, sampling design, and intervention targeting. The framework enables researchers and practitioners to make informed decisions about farm classification whilst focusing on substantive research choices rather than technical implementation.
Regional applicability
Whilst developed with sub-Saharan African smallholder contexts in mind, the generalised framework may have limited direct application to UK farming systems, which tend to be larger, more mechanised, and regulated by different policy frameworks. However, the methodological approach to clarifying and quantifying subjective decisions in farm classification could be adapted for UK agro-typological research or for international comparative studies involving UK farms.
Key measures
Subjective decision points in farm typology construction and their quantified impacts on resulting typologies
Outcomes reported
The study presents a generalised framework for constructing farm typologies and quantifies the impact of subjective decisions made during typology construction. It encapsulates this framework in an open-source RShiny application (TypologyGenerator) to enable transparent and reproducible typology development.
Topic tags
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