Small-scale commercial farming has been recognised as a congruent strategy for local economic development. However, there are entrepreneurial challenges that are aggravated by the state of the economy, natural factors and weak agrarian edification system limiting growth in this sector. The fact that small-scale commercial farming is prioritized in the development agendas of the majority of African nations reflects how important it is in promoting food security and job creation. A number of agronomic limitations, including a limited farming entrepreneurship skill, severe climate change, drought, limited access to cash, and water shortages, have been recognized as major obstacles to the growth of small-scale commercial farming. As a result, the study presents the obstacles to entrepreneurship and small-scale commercial farmers in South Africa's rural areas. Two hundred and seventeen small-scale commercial farmers were chosen using a multi-stage sample technique. Quantitative data were collected through a survey in which structured questionnaires were used. Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 26 and Microsoft Excel version 2016 software were used as data analysis tools. Friedman means ranking technique was used to categorize the challenges in ascending order. Pearson chi-square was used to determine the relationship between the variables. The computed results revealed that financial, water, access to the market, crops and animal diseases were the most prevalent challenges. Subsequently, these farmers have poor financial management, marketing, packaging, cross-breeding and human management skills and this is exacerbating the challenges faced. Based on the results of this investigation, the paper recommends that the establishment of training programmes to improve entrepreneurship skills should be offered to these farmers, depending on the type of farming. Agricultural policies should be based on current evidence and should also be based on regular assessments. This improves the readjustment of relevant policies for the development of small-scale commercial farming. The study recommends that building of strong government intervention, farming stakeholder participation in policy formulation and adequate support for small-scale commercial farmers’ schemes in rural areas should be prioritised. Key words: Challenges, Small-scale commercial farming, economic challenges, entrepreneurial constraints, rural areas

The review highlights the situation of paddy stubble farming in Punjab, where farmers aim to prevent environmental harm by avoiding crop residue burning. Despite this intent, challenges such as insufficient machinery and lack of crop insurance hinder their transition to sustainable practices. Punjab, a key agricultural region in India, faces issues like air pollution and environmental degradation due to stubble burning. Farmers increasingly recognize these problems and are willing to explore alternatives. Farmers in Punjab are committed to adopting sustainable practices to minimize stubble burning's adverse effects on soil health and pollution. However, they face obstacles, notably the high cost and limited availability of necessary machinery such as happy seeders and mulchers, particularly affecting small-scale farmers. Additionally, inadequate crop insurance exacerbates the situation by failing to cover risks associated with stubble management, dissuading farmers from transitioning. To address these challenges, promoting accessible and affordable environmentally friendly machinery is crucial. Collaborative efforts between the government and private sector can facilitate this. Moreover, revising crop insurance policies to include stubble management risks will provide farmers with the confidence and financial security needed to adopt sustainable practices. Stakeholder collaboration is essential to create a supportive environment for farmers, enabling Punjab to lead in sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship.

ABSTRACTParaguay faces significant generational challenges in its agricultural industry, especially challenges in subsistence farming practices. Landless or smallholder farmers are less likely to adopt or use long-term soil management practices such as green manure and cover crop technologies. The purpose was to examine factors affecting adoption of green manure and cover crop technologies among Paraguayan smallholder farmers. Farmer training events, access to green manure and cover crop information, social participation, technical assistance (extension), and using chemical fertilizer significantly influenced, albeit weakly, farmers’ adoption of conservation agriculture practices. The results support further research to effectively refine agricultural adoption modeling.

There is increasing concern over the role that modern agricultural methods play in the degradation and destruction of natural resources such as water, soil, forests, and microorganisms, and the wider environment. Modern agricultural production methods, though they are effective at catering to the present generation’s needs, have been found to pose threats to future farming activities. As a result, there have been widespread calls for farmers to use sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs) as an alternative to traditional farming practices. Despite this, there seems to be limited knowledge of the extent to which smallholder farmers in South Africa have done so. This study investigates the use of SAPs by 130 smallholder farmers in a rural community in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa. The findings show that the majority use SAPs such as intercropping and crop rotation and that there is a low prevalence of mineral and pesticide use, both of which are considered unsustainable to the environment and the health of people and other resources. The findings also show that manure is not widely used as an alternative to chemical fertilizers and that the use of electricity as a form of energy for cooking and lighting is prevalent. These findings are useful for policymakers keen on encouraging the successful implementation of SAPs in South Africa.

Sustainable Agricultural Practices (SAPs) are the most promising pathways to enhance the productivity and resilience of agricultural production of smallholder farming systems while conserving the natural resources. This study was undertaken to identify the barriers affecting sustainable agricultural productivity of smallholder farmers in the eastern Free State, South Africa. Data were collected from 359 smallholder farmers using questionnaires and the validity of the collected data was confirmed through focus group discussions with key informants. Descriptive statistics and a binary logistic regression model were used to analyze data. Results indicated that traditional SAPs such as intercropping, mulching and crop rotation were more likely to be adopted by farmers with access to land yet without access to credit (and had low levels of education, although this finding was not significant). In contrast, new SAPs such as cover cropping, minimum-tillage, tied ridging and planting pits were more knowledge (education), capital and labor intensive. Therefore, extension strategies should take these differences into consideration when promoting both the adoption of traditional SAPs and new SAPs. Targeting resource-constrained farmers (in terms of access to credit and education) through raising awareness and building capacity is essential to ensure the adoption of traditional SAPs. In turn, promoting the adoption of new SAPs not only needs awareness raising and capacity building but also must fundamentally address resource constraints of South African smallholder farmers such as knowledge, capital and labor. It is recommended that government should provide resources and infrastructure to improve the quality and outreach of extension services through field demonstration trials and training.

In the face of climate-related challenges in agriculture, Japan's ‘Direct Payment for Environmentally Friendly Farming’ policy stands as a proactive effort to incentivize sustainable practices among smallholder farmers. This study evaluates the policy's impact on smallholder farmers' net farm income within the Tohoku Region, employing a propensity score matching (PSM) methodology to analyze survey data encompassing household-specific attributes and engagement with the policy. Our results indicate that participation in the direct payment scheme enhances farmer income, averting an estimated reduction of 125 thousand JPY per annum. While direct payments demonstrated a positive effect on smallholder income, our findings surprisingly revealed that skill training, a key non-financial support, had a negligible impact on household earnings. The findings highlight the policy's efficacy in promoting practices that decrease reliance on chemical inputs and increase organic farming, thereby contributing to carbon emissions mitigation. Notably, our analysis suggests that subsidies directed towards integrating renewable energy on farms may have a less immediate financial impact compared to other forms of support. This research underscores the complex interplay between agricultural subsidies, environmental sustainability, and farmer income, revealing that direct financial incentives are pivotal in fostering climate-conscious agricultural practices among smallholders.

The Green Revolution still heavily influences the agricultural practices of small-scale farming enterprises employing unsustainable methods of cultivation. As a result, many initiatives have been developed to promote more environmentally friendly agricultural practices. This paper aims to seek the determinants of farmers regarding practicing more sustainable farming in Tasikmalaya Regency, Indonesia, especially in terms of the use of chemicals. Data were gained by interviewing 360 farmers at the study site. A logit regression model was then used to analyze the data. The results of the analysis indicate that the most significant determinants of sustainability in farming practices are each farmer’s standard of education and how active the farmer is in farmers’ groups. This shows the importance of positioning the farmer group as an essential factor for achieving sustainable farming in Indonesia. Consequently, transitioning to more sustainable agricultural practices requires that policymakers address the topic of economic incentives, improving market access, leveraging farmers’ groups, providing education and support, and designing policies that empower farmers as agents of change in their own communities.

Implication of climate variability and changing environment potentially subvert agricultural crop production of subsistence and smallholder farmers in the developing countries. Ensuring food security during increasing environmental changes and climate variability constitutes one of the greatest adaptation challenges. Understanding the complex nature of food security and emphasis on increasing food crop production and distribution provide substantial adaptation option and an opportunity for spearheading, generating of information, developing of innovative and improving technologies to adapt to anticipated situations. This paper employed survey to collect information. The study results ascribe that the heavy reliance on rain-fed agriculture, shortage of land and the use of poor technology renders many smallholder farmers vulnerable to the effects of climate variability resulting in the decline of agricultural production, hence food insecurity. The trend is likely to worsen if no measures are put in place to redress the situation. In addressing such challenges, substantial efforts are needed to improve farming practices and the development of adaptation measures that include diversification, climate smart farming practices and improvement of extension and veterinary services. For effectiveness of adoption this will need to include promotion of appropriate and inclusive, environmentally-sound technologies and an enabling policy environment that reinforces actions at the all levels.

Climate change and variability pose serious challenges among smallholder farmers in developing countries. Low adaptive capacity aggravates the challenges to farming activities and ecosystem management. This study employed survey methods to assess the implications of climate variability and environmental changes in agricultural production and food security. The study used different research methods, including literature review, participatory rural appraisal, household questionnaire, key informant interview and field observation for data collection. The data collected were organised, triangulated, synthesised, processed, analysed using thematic and trend analyses for qualitative data and Microsoft Excel and SPSS 20 software programme manipulation for quantitative data. Severe and frequent climatic extremes that include drought, heavy rainfall, temperature variations, and strong winds are smallholder farmers' main challenges in production. As a result, the production trends and productivity of the main rainfed crops decreased significantly. The duration of the growing season also decreased, negatively affecting the local food supplies. The statistical results signify a robust negative correlation between climate variability and the production of the leading food crops (X2 = 6.00 with p = 0.199 and X2 = 10.00 with p = 0.350). In addressing the challenges, improving farming practices such as crop diversification and improved extension services were suggested. However, such options would require appropriate environmentally friendly technologies in an enabling environment both locally and nationally.

Smallholder farmers play a crucial role in achieving sustainability in agricultural supply chains, particularly in developing countries like Bangladesh. These farmers, who typically own small plots of land and rely on family labor, contribute significantly to the nation's food security and rural livelihoods. However, they face numerous challenges that hinder their ability to adopt sustainable practices and integrate into global value chains. This article discusses the importance of smallholder farmers in promoting sustainable agricultural supply chains in Bangladesh, the challenges they face, and potential solutions to support their livelihoods and promote sustainable practices.