Small farms and the transformation of food systems: an overview.

Abstract

By making a strong case for the importance of agriculture in poverty reduction, even in developing countries with largely urbanized populations, the 2008 World Development Report has continued the renewed interest in agriculture as a force for poverty reduction (World Bank, 2008). Research has shown that rural poverty reduction, resulting from better conditions in rural areas and not from the movement of rural poor into urban areas, has been the engine of overall poverty reduction (Ravallion et al, 2007). Organizational changes that are currently underway in developing-country food systems necessitate a new look at agriculture’s role in poverty reduction with an eye on the changing rural economy.The reorganization of supply chains, from farm to plate, is fuelling the transformation of entire food systems in developing countries.With the changing rural context in mind, we revisit prospects for poverty reduction in rural areas, particularly in the small farm sector.The transformation of food systems threatens business as usual but offers new opportunities for smallholder farmers and the rural poor.