On the Central Role of Small Farms in African Rural Development Strategies

Improving the productivity of
smallholder farms in Sub-Saharan Africa offers the best
chance to reduce poverty among this generation of rural
poor, by building on the limited resources farming
households already possess. It is also the best and shortest
path to meet rising food needs. Using examples from
farmers' maize and rice fields, and comparisons with
Asia, this paper examines why the set of technologies
promoted to date have produced localized successes rather
than transformational change. The paper explains the
limitations of alternative policies that are not centered on
small farms. It provides indicative examples of how
resource-management technologies can supplement
seed-fertilizer technologies to speed an African Green Revolution.