There is strong advocacy for agricultural machinery appropriate for smallholder farmers in South Asia. Such 'scale-appropriate' machinery can increase returns to land and labour, although the still substantial capital investment required can preclude smallholder ownership. Increasing machinery demand has resulted in relatively well-developed markets for rental services for tillage, irrigation, ...

A cross-sectional study was conducted to detect the presence of Salmonella spp., Candida albicans, Aspergillus spp., and antimicrobial residues in raw milk (n = 120) and processed cow milk (n = 20) from smallholder dairy farms from three sites in Zimbabwe. Culture and isolation of Salmonella spp., C. albicans, and Aspergillus spp. were performed using selective media, while antimicrobial residu...

This special feature calls for forward thinking around paths of convergence for agriculture, health, and wealth. Such convergence aims for a richer integration of smallholder farmers into national and global agricultural and food systems, health systems, value chains, and markets. The articles identify analytical innovation, where disciplines intersect, and cross-sectoral action where single, l...

Ethiopia is also frequently identified as a country that is highly vulnerable to climate variability and change. The potential adverse effects of climate change on Ethiopia’s agricultural sector are a major concern, particularly given the country’s dependence on agricultural production, which is sensitive to climate change and variability. This problem calls the need to understand agroecology b...

Integrating the conservation of biodiversity by smallholder farmers with agricultural intensification is increasingly recognized as a leading priority of sustainability and food security amid global environmental and socioeconomic change. An international research project investigated the smallholder agrobiodiversity of maize (corn) in a global hotspot (Bolivia) undergoing significant intensifi...

Low yield of maize continues to affect the livelihood of smallholder farmers in the Zabzugu-Tatale area despite the introduction of a high yielding Obatanpa maize variety. The study used a cross-sectional survey design with 240 randomly sampled household heads growing maize to examine determinants of adoption of Obatampa varieties (IMVs) by farmers in the Zabzugu-Tatale area in the Northern Reg...

INTRODUCTION: Agro-industry adding value to agricultural commodities through processing before they reach consumers can play a key role in agricultural development, especially if it is located in rural areas. In developing countries, agroindustrialization is increasingly driven by globalization , as manifested by foreign direct investment and trade (Reardon and Barrett, 2000) Mozambique is not ...

While crop genetic diversity supports ecological processes and food security, there have been few cross-cultural studies evaluating the influence of cultural and dietary factors on the conservation of genetic resources. This study examines genetic diversity patterns of tartary buckwheat in 18 smallholder farming communities across five regions of China (Yunnan Province, Tibet Autonomous Region ...

This flash examines trends in market participation by smallholder farmers in rural central and northern Mozambique between 2008, when prices of many commodities rose to previously unseen levels, and 2011. Using panel data for 2008 and 2011, the analysis describes marketing dynamics – entry, exit, and persistence of participation, and the trends in marketing intensity associated with those dynam...

Malawi, similar to other Southern African countries, has adopted new water, land, and irrigation policies and legislation involving promotion of decentralized management, user groups, and privatization of resources previously under customary or public tenure. We examine how the water and land policies intersect with the new irrigation policy, and are being played out in the context of two small...