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Improving the livelihood of smallholder farmers
Smallholder Mapping and Characteristics
Understanding smallholder farmers
Smallholder farmers operate under many different kinds of conditions leading to a bewildering variety of outcomes in developed and developing countries. With reference to the developing world, the term “smallholder” is often associated with small-scale and subsistence-level family farming in resource-poor conditions operating with few purchased inputs and limited technology.
The appellation “smallholder” itself indicates limited land availability. Similar terms, such as “resource-poor” farmers, imply broader considerations, including limited capital, fragmented holdings, and limited access to inputs. Hence, a precise and quantitative definition of smallholder farmers in all relevant dimensions is difficult to craft, but several key themes seem to emerge. These have to do with the size of the landholding, the degree of market orientation, levels of vulnerability to risk and competitiveness.
Holding size is perhaps the most evident indicator defining smallholders, but it can be misleading, as poverty levels and productivity can vary widely at given farm sizes.
Commonly, the “smallholder” label implies that one is talking about subsistence farmers, as mentioned, with low competitiveness and market orientation.
An important reality of smallholders is that they face a high degree of vulnerability to risk. The probability of being hit by shocks that affect production, income and welfare and may cause setbacks, from which it may take many years to recover, is high. The overall exposure to risk is difficult to quantify as risks are of different types. Vulnerability is linked both to exposure as well as coping ability, which in turn are associated with levels of assets and other productive resources, many typically in short supply.
Smallholder mapping and characterization
The Syngenta Foundation's target group of smallholders is operators who usually face many constraints. For instance, low access to technology and know-how; limited resources in terms of capital, skills and risk management; depending on family labor for most activities; and limited capacity in terms of marketing, storage and processing.
Foundation's target smallholder farmers
To better understand the Syngenta Foundation's target group of smallholder farmers, the “Smallholder Mapping” exercise was carried out, the results of which serve as part of the overall strategy. You can view/download the PowerPoint presentation below.
