smallholder farmers

This study aims at determining the main role of households’ capitals, institutional, and access-related factors in conditioning the decision of smallholder farmers of African indigenous vegetables (AIVs) to access pillars of competitiveness in high-value market chains (HVMCs). The results suggest that about two thirds of smallholder AIV farmers had access to at least one pillar of competitiveness in HVMCs. »

Smallholder farmers in Uganda are increasingly vulnerable to risks associated with changing weather patterns. The SUM-Africa project, supported by the G4AW program of Netherlands Space Office (NSO), provides satellite based drought index insurance to protect these smallholders. This week the Ugandan Agro Insurance Consortium (AIC) and the Dutch company EARS) signed a long-term contract to continue the delivery of this service. »

This report highlights the current status and future development of agricultural insurance for smallholder farmers around the world. ISF’s agricultural insurance landscape assessment paints a picture of an industry that shows great potential but is struggling to achieve the required scale and product-level refinements to graduate from the donor funding that has carried it to this point. »

This working paper sought to identify ways in which smallholder agricultural finance inclusion in Zambia can be deepened. There are a number of notable gaps that could foster increased finance flows, like the absence of a credit registry that includes the unbanked. One recommendation to deepen smallholder agricultural finance inclusion is to embrace technology that will reduce cost of financial service delivery. »

This article aims to asses to what extent information and communicative mechanisms of digital platforms facilitate trust building for value chain credit cooperation in smallholder maize farming in Ghana. Digital Platforms (DPs) show potential to help overcome some information and communication gaps that impede traditional value chain credit arrangements. »

These six papers in a special issue of Climate Risk Management presents innovations, insights and evidence from efforts to make climate services work for smallholder farmers in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Identifying the intended users and understanding how their identities, roles and responsibilities within larger agrarian communities to which they belong impact their climate service needs and ability to act on the information provided. »