Empowering Small holder Farmers in Markets: National and International Policy Initiatives

By JOS BIJMAN, GIEL TON AND GERDIEN MEIJERINK.

ESFIM Working Paper 1.  WUR Wageningen. August 2007

This working paper will present a review on national and international policy initiatives that aim to empower small holders in markets. By policy initiatives we mean those plans and actions developed by national governments and international governing bodies that affect the functioning of agricultural markets and define the context within which the sales of agricultural products takes place, as well as those plans and actions that support small holders' economic organizations. As policy reforms are often long-term developments, the review will study changes in public policy and private responses over the last 15 years.

The review will cover experiences in both OECD and developing countries. We will look for general patterns and processes in these policy initiatives and highlight the ways in which small holders and their economic organisations have been influenced by and reacted on these initiatives. The review will explicitly focus on the interaction between public policies and private responses. Initiatives of small holders' organizations themselves to influence the institutional environment will be included. Special attention will be given to initiatives where IFAP is involved in or is consulted on.

Policy Brief available for download at http://www.esfim.org/download/Brief_WP_1_english.pdf

Full paper at http://www.esfim.org/download/ESFIM_Working_Paper_1.pdf