Using the case of maize production in Kenya, this study reframes the challenge of smallholder commercialization in the context of staplefood crop production and individual farm-level decision-making by a heterogeneous population of smallholder farmers. Whilemany smallholder growers of staple crops find themselves trapped in a cycle of poverty, they differ greatly in their...

Successful commercialization of farming enterprises and farmer entrepreneurship are thought to embody the key features of structural transformation and provide a pathway out of poverty and subsistence agriculture for the rural farm households. The past decade has seen several African countries increase their agricultural growth, largely driven by increases in...

The Pacific Island Farmers Organisation Network (PIFON) is intended to serve as an umbrella organisation for national FOs, to coordinate capacity building, share success stories and the lessons learnt, support regional exchanges of expertise between FOs and their associated private sector and donor agency partners.  

Agriculture plays a significant role in Africa, accounting for about 30 per cent of GDP south of the Sahara, as well as a significant proportion of export value. Not surprisingly, in most African countries, 60 per cent or more of employees work in agriculture. Yet this barely scrapes the surface...

Cette étude vise  à apprécier la pertinence qu’il y aurait à s’inspirer de l'expérience de marchés de gros paysans impulsée par Mviwata en Tanzanie, visant à favoriser l’accès au marché pour les paysans de différentes régions du pays et à améliorer les conditions de commercialisation en leur faveur, pour l'implanter au...

Este folleto trata sobre las tierras comunales y los derechos tanto de la comunidad como de los comuneros y presenta de manera ágil la información que se encuentra en las leyes o normas que regulan dicha temática. Este material se ha preparado como complemento para las labores de sensibilización y difusión...

The small-scale farms are the main group that is of importance for the development of the agriculture and rural areas in Bulgaria. This is a family type business and almost the entire required employment power is provided by the family members of the farmers. On average, only one family member...

The main objectives of this paper are to evaluate the impact of water use efficiency improvement on water value and to estimate the potential of water cost reductions in durum wheat production in Central Tunisia. Results show that significant inefficiencies exist in the sample of farms under investigation. The effects...

Between 1990 and 2009 the number of small farms in Switzerland halved and the average farm size doubled. With family farming chosen as the theme for this year's World Food Day, leading activist Vandana Shiva is calling for more support to small farmers. Shiva is an “earth democracy” activist and founder...

En este número de LEISA se presentan experiencias que muestran cómo la agricultura campesina puede romper las limitaciones que impiden salir del círculo de pobreza y marginalidad. La sostenibilidad de la producción de alimentos y de la vitalidad de los agroecosistemas exige el enfoque integrador de la agroecología que involucra...

Este documento recoge los resultados de los grupos de investigación de la Escuela Territorial y Agroecológica Manuel Quintín Lame. Durante un año los escuelantes participaron de esta iniciativa coordinada por el Grupo Semillas y las organizaciones del Sur del Tolima FICAT, ACIT, Utritol, Manos de Mujer-Coyaima y Asociación Futuro con...

The main aim of the report is to provide a comprehensive description of the effectiveness of advisory services for small-scale farmers, providing a picture of the services from the perspective of the farmers and some key advisors. In Portugal the case study focused on new small-scale farmers in small fruit...

La publicación resume los resultados obtenidos en tres de las áreas más vulnerables al cambio climático de Nicaragua: Matagalpa, Nueva Segovia y Chinandega. En las tres áreas se encuentran poblaciones rurales cuyos medios de vida tienen una elevada dependencia de los recursos naturales (bosques, pesca) y de la agricultura de...

This publication provides guidance on the natural history of wild bees and their potential exposure to pesticides, as part of the GEF supported Project “Conservation and Management of Pollinators for Sustainable Agriculture, through an Ecosystem Approach” implemented in seven countries – Brazil, Ghana, India, Kenya, Nepal, Pakistan and South Africa....

L'agriculture familiale présente des solutions aux défis mondiaux. Plus de 500 millions de fermes familiales dominent l'agriculture : elles permettent d'assurer la sécurité alimentaire, de lutter contre la pauvreté et la famine, de fournir des emplois et d'améliorer la gestion des ressources durables. Même si elles ont des défis à...

Esta es una guía para los técnicos y técnicas que trabajan en el ámbito rural en la Argentina. Sabemos que no hay un sólo ámbito rural homogéneo y común en todo el territorio, sino que las diferencias son notables según rama de actividad, región geográfica, condición climática, etc. Lo que si...

The HSAD-Iraq program is a collaborative effort between the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region and ICARDA. Special thanks for continued support and guidance to Dr. Mahdi El Kaisey (Technical Deputy Minister of Agriculture), Dr. Faisal Rasheed (Advisor to...

A dynamically developing economy requires significant trial and adjustment to the changing economic mechanisms from all participants in the market. In the case of rural areas, multifunctional development is one methods of economic stimulation. In this multifunctional development, significant participation by farmers in rural tourism activities is an alternative of...

This publication draws from reports and notes from a series of events in the International Year of Family Farming: Regional Dialogues on Family Farming were organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization in collaboration with the World Rural Forum, the International Cooperative Alliance and the World Farmers Organization to increase the understanding of the family farming context in each region,and...

Agro-ecology applies ecological concepts and principles to the design and management of sustainable agriculture. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that globally, more than 800 million people worldwide are undernourished. Shockingly, half of these are small-scale farmers and their families, for whom a failed harvest due to drought, or...