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Abstract
The global food crisis has focused attention on agriculture
and spurred increased investment in the sector. The
attention of public policy and research investment has
been focused on smallholder farmers’ productivity.
However, it is critical to enable opportunities throughout
the value chain to improve smallholder farmers’ access to
market with the associated income improvements. With
post-farm losses in the global supply of food estimated
to be 10–40%, research throughout the food chain is as
important to global food security as research to improve
yields. The global trade in food is relatively small in
comparison to domestic production and consumption,
so improvement in the effectiveness of domestic food value-chains
to deliver adequate quantities of food is important. In addition to food
quantity, the importance of quality attributes, in particular food safety and
sound nutrition, which contribute to overall food security, become critical
elements of public policy and research investment. The Green Revolution
in Asia highlights the contribution of research in improving smallholder
productivity. However, research is also delivering a range of innovative
outcomes throughout the value chain which are improving smallholder
farmers’ ability to compete in rapidly changing markets, including in the
modern retail environment, while delivering on consumer expectation,
reducing waste and improving efficiencies. The paper discusses some
of these innovative successes throughout the value chain that improve
smallholder farmer competitiveness and contribute to global food security.