Sustainable Development Goals:Performance and Problems of Agricultural Labour in Share Cropping System and Their Impact on Natural Resource Management and Growth (A Case of Sindh–Pakistan)

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all is an important eighth goal in sustainable development agenda of united nation for next 15 years. This paper is also written in context of above mentioned global development agenda with particular reference of Sindh-Pakistan. Land tenure is concerned with the right operational arrangements under which the land is operated for cropping purpose. The owner farm, Owner cum-tenant farm and tenant farm are famous kinds of tenure system in Sindh. The main focus of this study is on tenant’s cultivation system due to its dominance in Sindh agriculture, its significant impact on the labour, sustainable agricultural development with natural resources management and pivotal role in rural economic and social development.

Study discussed that share cropping serves the interest land lords and strengthens their social, economic and political leverage in the rural areas. In this system, land lord avoids investing more capital and tenants avoid investing more labour and intention due to shares. System badly harms tenant’s interest. They earn meager income and enjoy less freedom as compared to daily wages or monthly salaried industrial workforce. They always remain under heavy pressure and debit and this system leads to poverty, bondage and low skilled labour in agriculture sector of Sindh-Pakistan. This study concludes that large percentage of increasing population in rural areas is engaged in this manual and old system. It is because of this very fact that the people of the rural Sindh cannot not become skilled laborers i.e. plumbers, mechanics, electricians, carpenters, mesons, brokers, defense personnel and other industrial workforce and also an obstacle in migration of the people to urban/industrial centers.