Questions de développement ...

Smallholders dominate farming in Africa. But for many, productivity of land and labour is low, returns to farming are meagre, thus leaving them living in or close to poverty. Yet domestic and regional markets for food are growing. Technologies for higher productivity exist. But often farmers cannot get inputs, credit or insurance except at very high cost and cannot find ways to sell to the most rewarding outlets.

We have to ensure that agricultural systems are not just productive and sustainable, but also stable, resilient and equitable. In sub-Saharan Africa, for example, we must recognize that smallholder farmers, many of whom are women, have a critical role to play in agricultural and rural development.