The Future of Small Farms: New Directions for Services, Institutions, and Intermediation

Abstract

Efficient pre- and post-harvest services are essential if small farms in high potential areas are to intensify production, contribute to economic growth, and reduce poverty. They also matter if small farms in marginal areas are to manage their natural resource base, in the face of growing population pressure and climate change. Difficulties that smallholders face in accessing services are reviewed, showing how incentives for commercial delivery of services to smallholders differ between staple food, traditional cash crop, and high value product supply chains. The major challenge in service delivery to smallholders in much of Africa concerns coordination of service development and delivery. Different forms of intermediary institution for achieving such coordination are examined.