Purpose – Integrating smallholders into high-value global markets represents a unique opportunity to effect large-scale poverty reduction in the countryside. The purpose of the paper is to add empirical evidence to the discussion of how to best incorporate smallholders into the formal economy...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to argue for appropriate formal education for rural young people in order to sustain and enhance viable rural communities. Design/methodology/approach – In reviewing the literature, it bridges the gap between thinking on education and development...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify factors that constrain marketing choices available to smallholders, limiting the chain's robustness from their perspective. Design/methodology/approach – This paper draws on transaction cost economics to develop a model explaining dyadic...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present theoretical explanations for the failure of the largest dairy processing firm in Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) after only about one year of operation. Design/methodology/approach – The paper contains a case study on the...

Purpose – The present article presents a first-look into the hired-labor market in Chinese household farms using data from a national household survey conducted by the Research Center for the Rural Economy (RCRE) at China's Ministry of Agriculture. More specifically, the purpose of this paper...

Purpose – Urban crop farming as a variant of urban agriculture is a rising phenomenon in food and income generation especially in the developing countries. It is useful in fresh food supplies, recycling of urban wastes and poverty alleviation. However, as an informal activity, the greatest...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a cross-country study comparing Colombia and Vietnam, two of the major coffee exporting countries in the world, in terms of their infrastructures, the roles of external shocks, technology adoption at different stages of production, added value,...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether community-based wildlife conservation can potentially be added in rural farmers’ investment portfolio to diversify and consequently reduce agricultural risk. Design/methodology/approach – The correlation coefficient is computed...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an assessment of benefits to farmers from vertical coordination in dairy. To analyze this, the authors first document the functioning of the cooperative (and changes thereof with increased competition). The paper also uses a field survey to...

Purpose – Cassava production surged noticeably in Southeastern Africa beginning in the 1990s. The purpose of this paper is to examine the commercial responses and food security consequences of cassava production growth in the region. Design/methodology/approach – The paper incorporates a mix...