Smallholders are small-scale farmers, pastoralists, forest keepers, fishers who manage areas varying from less than one hectare to 10 hectares. Smallholders are characterized by family-focused motives such as favouring the stability of the farm household system, using mainly family labour for production and using part of the produce for family...

The study seeks to establish why some smallholder horticultural famers in Chihota communal areas market their produce in communal markets which are known to generate less revenue for any given quality and quantity of produce than urban formal markets. It uses primary data collected from 119 farming households randomly selected...

The problem of climate change in Africa has the potential of undermining sustainable development efforts if steps are not taken to respond to its adverse consequences. This study reviews existing and available literature on farmers’ perceptions and adaptations to climate change in sub-Sahara Africa. It is evident that the majority...

Rapid population growth, urbanization and rising incomes will present an unprecedented opportunity for growth of commercial agriculture and agribusiness in coming years. The value of food consumed in urban areas is set to expand by four times to 2030, but given evidence of a continuing decline in competitiveness much of...

The Cost of Hunger in Africa (COHA) Study is a project led by the African Union Commission (AUC) and the New Partnership of Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Planning and Coordinating Agency and supported by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP). COHA is a...

This paper sheds light on how to harvest the "youth dividend" in Sub-Saharan Africa by creating jobs in agriculture. The agriculture that attracts the youth will have to be profitable, competitive, and dynamic. These are the same characteristics needed for agriculture to deliver growth, to improve food security, and to...

The concept of family farming is the recipient of much high-level political capital right now...  The United Nations has declared 2014 the International Year of Family Farming, the primary aim of which is to promote, develop and strengthen all types of familyoriented agriculture - from horticulture and livestock to fisheries and forestry - as a socially...

Les fermiers de la province de Kirundo pratiquaient l’agriculture familiale orientée vers le marché. Aujourd’hui, cette agriculture est tournée vers l’autoconsommation. Pour bien comprendre les contraintes rencontrées par les fermiers, 355 exploitants agricoles ont été choisis aléatoirement dans toutes les communes de cette province. Les résultats issus de cette enquête...

In northern Ghana, where the climatic conditions do not allow for an all-year-around rain-fed agriculture, irrigation is a necessary complement to enhance livelihoods security and poverty reduction. The knowledge gap regarding the contribution of existing irrigation facilities to poverty reduction occasioned the case study of the Tono irrigation scheme located...

Birds can only tolerate narrow temperature changes; therefore, poultry flocks are vulnerable to climate induced risk. This study investigated risk management strategies utilized by small scale poultry farmers in Oyo state. A total of 118 respondents were sampled using multi stage sampling procedure. Interview schedule was used to elicit perception...

Certaines sociétés multinationales qui investissent dans des achats massifs de terre semblent constituer des menaces pour l’avenir des agricultures familiales. L’agriculture contractuelle, en revanche, peut s’avérer une alternative pour réduire les conflits sociaux, transférer et construire des innovations techniques et institutionnelles. Cette hypothèse est testée dans le Centre-Ouest de la Côte...

 Description de l’initiative et des effets du PADER-BGN, un projet initié en octobre 2004 et  mis en œuvre en Guinée dans deux régions administratives (Boké et Kindia), cinq préfectures (Boffa, Boké, Fria, Dubréka et Télimelé) et 26 Communes Rurales. Par cette initiative de multiplication et de diffusion de semences de riz,...

This study examines the factors that drive technology utilisation, learning and transfer among women farmers in Nigeria. It assesses both modern and indigenous technologies used in farming activities. Three states were purposively selected from the six that comprise the South West geopolitical zone of the country. Structured questionnaire was administered...

Agriculture is vital to livelihoods in West Africa. It is the main source of employment for the 290 million people who live in the region, employing 60 percent of the workforce, and accounts for 35 percent of the region’s gross domestic product (GDP). This crucial economic activity is endangered by...

Le PADER-G s’engage pour une nouvelle approche d’encadrement des Organisations paysannes (OP) dans le Guéra (région du Tchad), pour en faire de vrais artisans de développement de la région. Un an après la mise en œuvre des actions du Programme sur le terrain, l’approche capte l’attention des bénéficiaires et donne...

En réponse aux nombreuses contraintes du développement des activités agropastorales dans les provinces de Gnagna et Kourittenga, au Burkina Faso, le Projet d’appui au développement rural décentralisé dans ces provinces (PADER/GK), a mis en place un programme d’aménagement hydro-agricole et de renforcement de capacités au bénéfice des acteurs paysans. Les...

L’agriculture familiale repose essentiellement sur deux piliers, l’exploitation agricole et la famille et est caractérisée par la relation étroite qui existe entre les deux. La durabilité de ce type d’agriculture dépend ainsi de celle de l’activité agricole, mais surtout de celle des Hommes.

This paper uses a rich dataset from a survey undertaken by the Ethiopian Economic Association (EEA) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in 2009 in eight woredas in seven regions of Ethiopia with a sample of 1,117 households and 73 agricultural cooperatives. Using descriptive statistics and econometric analysis...

Objectif général : Réduire la déforestation et la dégradation des terres par l’amélioration des rendements énergétiques dans les ménages et la promotion des activités agricoles durables face aux changements climatiques autour des réserves protégées du Nord Bénin. Objectifs spécifiques: 1- Promouvoir une technologie améliorée (FAE : Foyers Améliorés Erythréens) pour...

In this issue of GREAT insights we have asked the ‘custodians’ of the UN Year of Family Farming and the AU Year of Food Security, the Director General of the Food Agriculture Organization and the AU Commissioner for Agriculture, what outcomes they expect from these international processes, particularly in terms of the...