Who benefited least from a sharecropping arangements?

Sharecroppers, particularly Black farmers in the post-Civil War South, benefited the least from sharecropping arrangements. They often found themselves in a cycle of debt and dependency, as they had to borrow money for supplies and tools from landowners, who set inflated prices. This system frequently left sharecroppers with little to no profit after paying off their debts, trapping them in poverty and limiting their economic mobility. Additionally, the lack of legal protections further exacerbated their exploitation by landowners.