New Directions for Smallholder Agriculture PDF
Preview New Directions for Smallholder Agriculture
New Directions For Smallholder Agriculture New Directions For Smallholder Agriculture Edited by Peter Hazell and Atiqur Rahman 1 3 GreatClarendonStreet,Oxford,OX26DP, UnitedKingdom OxfordUniversityPressisadepartmentoftheUniversityofOxford. ItfurtherstheUniversity’sobjectiveofexcellenceinresearch,scholarship, andeducationbypublishingworldwide.Oxfordisaregisteredtrademarkof OxfordUniversityPressintheUKandincertainothercountries #InternationalFundforAgriculturalDevelopment2014 Allrightsreserved.TheFundencouragesreproductionanddisseminationofmaterialin thisWork.ApplicationsforpermissiontoreproduceordisseminatetheFundcopyright materialandallotherqueriesreceivedbythePublishershallbereferredtotheFund forresponse. 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PrintedinGreatBritainby ClaysLtd,StIvesplc n FOREWORD Theenvironmentinwhichsmallholderagricultureoperatesacrossthedevel- opingworldhasseensignificantchangesinrecentyears.Foodmarketsacross theglobehavebecomemorecomplexandbetterintegrated,drivenbygrow- ing demand and by technological and institutional change. Environmental pressures and climatic shocks have created new challenges for food produc- tion systems in many regions. Both globally and at the country level, a numberof factors have combined to producehigher and more volatile food prices. All these developments have focused global and national political debatesonhow toensurefoodsecurity.Animportantissue inthesedebates ishowtoraiseagriculturalproductivityandimprovetheefficiencyofglobal, regional, and national food markets. In this context, the role of smallholder agricultureinachievingnationalandglobalfoodsecurityhasmovedtowards thecentreofpolicydiscourse—including,mostrecently,indebatesonapost- 2015globaldevelopmentagenda. Meanwhile,increasingdemandforfoodandrisingfoodpriceshavedrawn new domestic and international private investors to agriculture. As the policies in many developing countries have become more welcoming to corporate investors, we are witnessing the growth of large-scale investments inagricultureandtheexpansionofmarketandtradingopportunities. Atthelocallevel,non-farmactivitieshavebecomeanincreasinglyimport- ant part of rural economies. They provide services to the farm economy, an important complement to farm-based livelihoods, as well as new opportunities—particularly for rural youth and rural women. While large numbers of rural people remain underserved by formal finance institutions, in many places these are spreading into rural areas, offering products and services targeted to the investment needs of small rural entrepreneurs, whetherinagricultureorothersectors. These changes present both opportunities and challenges to smallholder agriculture, which today continues to support some 2 billion people glo- bally. Whether or not smallholders can meet the challenges and seize the opportunities of a rapidly changing environment depends on whether appropriate measures and policies are in place to enable them to overcome their constraints. Today, the people who work the world’s estimated 450 million small farms lack access to high-quality technology, secure access and control over productive land, access to water, quality education, markets, and financial resources. Often they live in marginal areas, and many of them endure absolute poverty and food insecurity. The policy and vi FOREWORD institutional environments at times work against rather than for them. And climate-induced changes are increasing the risks that they face, negatively impactingtheirinvestmentcapacity,theirlivelihoods,andtheirfoodsecurity. Despitetheseconstraints,givenappropriatetechnical,financial,andinsti- tutionalsupport,smallholders—womenandmenalike—canraisetheirprod- uctivityandoutputandgettheirproducttomarketefficiently.Furthermore, IFAD’s work, as well as that of others, has demonstrated the contribution smallholder agriculture can make to environmental sustainability, as well as thefeasibilityofclimatechangeadaptationinthissector. A dynamic smallholder agricultural sector would ensure food security at the farm level and make a major, and in many contexts the principal, contribution to food security at the national, regional, and global levels. It would also be an important driver of inclusive and sustainable economic growth, and foster job-rich rural development as a complement to thriving urban economies. And as custodians of a large part of the world’s natural resources,smallholderscanandneedtoplayamajorroleintheenvironmen- tal sustainability and climate mitigation agendas that are now of increasing globalconcern.Theseperspectivesmustbepartofthepolicydebateonfood security, both globally and at country level, both today and looking ahead beyond2015. IFAD organized the 2011 Conference on ‘New Directions for Smallholder Agriculture’ to provide a forum for renowned specialists and IFAD’s own experts to discuss the many challenges and opportunities that smallholder agriculturefacesinarapidlychangingworld.Iamdelightedthattheconfer- encewasabletodebatemanycriticalissues,botholdandnew.Theseincluded topics such as: how efficient smallholders are vis-a`-vis their larger counter- parts;howtofactorsustainabilityintosmallholderdevelopment;howsmall- holders can thrive in competition with capital-intensive larger farmers; and what support smallholders need from development agencies and govern- mentstoembarkonapathofsustainabledevelopment.Inshort,theconfer- enceaddressedthequestion:whatisthefutureofsmallholdersinagriculture? Whiletheconferencecouldnotbeexpectedtoprovideready-madeanswers to all these questions, it was nonetheless successful in expounding key find- ings and insights that can guide policymaking today and in the future. The conferencenotedthegreatdiversityinthepolicy,institutional,economic,and social environments of smallholders across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Yet,italsostressedcommonalitiesintheopportunitiesandchallengesthatall smallholdersface.Iwouldliketohighlightafewofthese. First, it is evident that the social profile of smallholder households is changing. Increasingly, around the globe, and particularly in Africa, small- holder farmers arewomen, who takeon new responsibilities in farming as a consequence of male migration—although in many cases without having gender-equalaccesstoland,inputs,finance,andotherresources.Inaddition, FOREWORD vii highunemploymentandpopulationgrowthratesinruralareashaveleftlarge numbers of rural youths unemployed, many of whom cannot engage in farming on increasingly fragmented family plots. These youth represent a resourceofimmensevalueforamodernized,moreclimate-adapted,sustain- able agriculture, which is also well connected to a thriving non-farm rural sector. Second,smallholderscontinuetohavedifficultiessecuringaccesstoessen- tial resources such as land and water, due to pressures from increasing population, competition with larger investors, and environmental degrad- ation. For smallholder farming to be sustainable and to drive inclusive economic growth in the coming years, institutions will need to address these problems—focusing on easier but also more secure access to land and onrespectandrecognitionofrightsandentitlements.Itisalsoveryimportant to improve access to financial services, technology, and other inputs. This agendarequiresthecollaborationofgovernments,developmentagencies,and theprivatesectortodevelopandscale-upproductsandprocessesthatarewell suitedtotheneedsofsmallholders—womenandmenalike—withparticular attentiontosupportingsmallholdersinmanagingtherisksthey face. Third, it is essential that smallholder farmers be seen for what they are— operatorsofsmallbusinesses,andthusacorepartoftheruralprivatesector. Otherprivate-sectoractorsshouldbeseenaspotentialpartnersandenablers of smallholder farmers, as they can facilitate access to inputs, services, cap- acitydevelopmentopportunities,andmarkets.Experiencesaroundtheworld, including IFAD’s own experience, demonstrate that such private–private partnerships are possible, although the transaction costs may require third- party support and facilitation, especially to ensure the inclusion of poor farmers. Fourth, it is quite evident today that many smallholders are not engaged solely in agricultural activities. An increasing number are diversifying into non-farm activities to supplement their farm incomes. Sustainable devel- opment of smallholders in agriculture has to take this into account, and promote the policy, financial, and infrastructural support needed for the growth of a thriving non-farm rural economy as a necessary complement of smallholder agriculture, and as a criticallinkbetween inclusiveruraland urban economies. Fifth, smallholders often lack strong institutional and social capital to influence policy- and decision-making processes or to negotiate favourable terms of market participation or access to key inputs and services. Develop- mentagencies,supportedbyanenablingpolicyframework,canhelpaddress thischallenge,alongwithpartnerswithincivilsociety,startingfromfarmers’ organizationsthemselves.IFAD’sexperienceamplyshowsthetransformative potentialofsuchpartnershipsandthecentralityoffarmers’empowermentin smallholderdevelopment. viii FOREWORD The authors who have contributed to this book address these and other issues in depth, drawing on the papers they presented at the 2011 IFAD Conference and on additional research. Our aim in publishing this book is to promote further discussion on the future of smallholder agriculture in a rapidlychangingworld.Iamconfidentthatthisvolumewillgreatlyenrichthe ongoing policydebateanddialogue,helpingustochartapaththatwilllead to the full integration of smallholder farmers in a global agenda for sustain- ableandinclusivedevelopment. KanayoF.Nwanze President,InternationalFundforAgricultural Development(IFAD) Rome,Italy December2013 n ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This volume owes a lot to the vision of the President of IFAD, Kanayo Felix Nwanze, who believes that smallholder agriculture of developing countries can not only be self-sustaining, but can also contribute towards food self- sufficiency of poor countries and be the driving force for economic growth and overall development if market and entrepreneurial skills of smallholder farmers can be harnessed. With appropriate support, smallholdings can be developedasfarmbusinessenterprises. He encouraged the Strategy and Knowledge Management Department of IFAD,under theleadershipofHenockKifle,toorganizeaconferenceonthe futureofsmallholderagriculturein2011.Theconference,conceptualizedand guidedbyHenockKifle,andenthusiasticallysupportedandcontributedtoby the members of the Department, attracted considerable attention among development experts, academicians, civil society representatives, and the private sector. The conference participants and the chairpersons/facilitators contributed greatly towards understanding various issues relating to small- holderdevelopment.Thefouryoungrapporteurstotheconference(Arindam Banerjee, Antonio Ferreira, Mateo Mier,andJennifer Smolak)ablycaptured andsharedwithalltheparticipantstheessenceofthetwo-dayconference.All thesehelpedtoshapethefocusofthiseditedvolume.Wewouldliketothank themallfor theircontributions. Thepaperspresentedattheconferenceprovidedmuchofthematerialfor the book; however, some key gaps in analysis emerging from the conference werefilledupbyanumberofpost-conferencepapersfromexperts.Wethank alltheauthorsfor theircontributions. Carlos Sere who took charge of theStrategy and Knowledge Management DepartmentfromHenockKiflekeptupthemomentumforthebook,leading, guiding,andprovidingtherightsupportasneeded.Hewentthroughsomeof the chapters and provided valuable comments. Without his enthusiastic support,thisvolumewouldnothavematerialized. Thechapterswerereviewedbyanumberofreferees,whosecommentsand suggestions were very helpful in improving the quality of the chapters. We notethecontributionsmadeinthisrespectbyDerekByerlee,AlaindeJanvry, JohnFarrington,KjellHavenvik,SaleemulHuq,NurulIslam,StephenKlerkx, Jonathan Mitchell, S. R. Osmani, Frank Place, Collin Poulton, Agnes Qui- sumbing, Caludia Ringler, Ashwani Saith, Geoff Tyler, and Sajjad Zohir. We alsothankthefouranonymousrefereesoftheOxfordUniversityPresswhose
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