Sharecropping is a system of agriculture in which a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return for a share of the crop produced on the land (e.g. 50% of the crop). This should not be confused with a crop fixed rent contract, in which a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return for a fixed amount of crop per unit of land (e.g. 1 Tonne per hectare). Sharecropping has a long history and there are a wide range of different situations and types of agreements that have encompassed the system.