Smallholder Farming under Increasingly Difficult Circumstances: Policy and Public Investment Priorities for Africa

Editors The MSU International Development Paper series is designed to further the comparative analysis of international development activities in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Near East. The papers report research findings on historical, as well as contemporary, international development problems. The series includes papers on a wide range of topics, such as alternative rural development strategies; nonfarm employment and small scale industry; housing and construction; farming and marketing systems; food and nutrition policy analysis; economics of rice production in West Africa; technological change, employment, and income distribution; computer techniques for farm and marketing surveys; farming systems and food security research. The papers are aimed at teachers, researchers, policy makers, donor agencies, and international development practitioners. Selected papers will be translated into French, Spanish, or other languages. Michigan State University agrees to and does hereby grant to the United States Government a royalty-free, non-exclusive and irrevocable license throughout the world to use, duplicate, disclose, or dispose of this publication in any manner and for any purposes and to permit others to do so. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to thank Eric Crawford, David Tschirley, and Michael Weber for comments on an earlier draft. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Michigan State University, USAID, the Rockefeller Foundation or any other organization. iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This paper identifies major trends affecting the future of the small farm in Sub-Saharan Africa, and identifies policy responses and public investment strategies by African governments, governments of high-income countries, and multilateral donors that can give African smallholders the chance to be viable in an increasingly globalized world. Most small farms in Africa are becoming increasingly unviable as sustainable economic and social units. More so than in other regions of the world, small farmers in Africa suffer from civil disruptions, political turmoil, HIV/AIDS, and weak support from their governments for agricultural science and technology, extension support, health and education. Furthermore, many African farmers are disadvantaged by the global agricultural trading system and the increasing privatization of agricultural research. In addition, there remains inadequate appreciation in current development strategies of the fact that most farm households in Africa control less than one hectare of land, that average farm sizes are continuing to decline steadily, and that the ability of most households to produce a sustainable livelihood from their farms is declining. Unless the policies of local governments, donors, and rich country governments …