Economic Environment

The economies of impoverished Low Income countries place severe downward pressure on consumer prices, limits profit margins for private traders, and what they offer smallholder producers. It also limits the tax base for governments to provide agriculture support service.

Development Process

Outlines the complex six-stage, two-plus-year, US$1M+ project implementation process, highlighting donor-beneficiary isolation, limited representation of beneficiaries, and rigid contract innovations that undermine project.

Dietary Energy Deficit

Reviews how limited available calories can limit the workday, prolong the time to complete crop management tasks, reduce the quality of that management, reduce potential yields, limit food security, and marketable surplus, making access to mechanization essential to improving smallholder wellbeing.

Sustainability of Smallholder Production Systems

Evaluates whether sustainability initiatives genuinely align with local physical and economic realities, taking into account labor availability, energy expenditure offsets, localized raw material supplies, and long-term financial viability for small-scale farmers.

Supporting Value Chains

Assesses value chain support service, looking at the likely overreliance on producer organizations, difficulties government services face, and ultimately the overall efficiency of the oft vilified private traders. Are they the most reliable cost-effective provider that handles the bulk of the needs.

Assisting Smallholders

Looking beyond the standard research/extension programs address concern that limits the ability to widely accept research results. The emphasis is on drudgery relief access to mechanization, local seed multiplication, and lesser effort like grain mills and improved water supplies.

Studies Needed

Throughout this website various concerns are discussed based largely on observations with limited references, and thus the need for more detailed studies to confirm their importance and stimulate addressing them in order to better service smallholder communities.