@article{Lipton:42256,
      recid = {42256},
      author = {Lipton, Michael},
      title = {The family farm in a globalizing world: The role of crop  science in alleviating poverty},
      address = {2005},
      number = {568-2016-39020},
      series = {2020 Discussion Paper},
      pages = {44},
      year = {2005},
      abstract = {The topic of family farms has been gaining prominence in  the academic, policy, and donor
communities in recent  years. Small farms dominate the agricultural landscape in  the
developing world, providing the largest source of  employment and income to the rural poor,
yet smallholders  remain highly susceptible to poverty and hunger. With the  advance of globalization
and greater integration of  agricultural markets, the need for increases in  agricultural
productivity for family farms is particularly  pressing. Raising productivity and output of small
farmers  would not only increase their incomes and food security,  but also stimulate the rest of
the economy and contribute  to broad-based food security and poverty alleviation.
In  this paper, Michael Lipton builds an argument for greater  focus on pro-smallholder crop
science as a key solution to  generate increases in productivity and income. Increasing  the
levels of investment into agricultural technology,  improving water and land use and distribution,
and creating  positive incentives for developing-country farmers come to  the forefront
of the paper as critical steps that must be  taken to ensure massive reduction in global  poverty.
Favorable demographic trends over the next few  decades provide a window of opportunity
for reforms and  action that must not be squandered.
The future of  smallholders is an important research theme at IFPRI.  Several studies are
currently underway that address the  impact of changing agricultural markets on small  farmers.
In addition, IFPRI and its 2020 Vision Initiative  is collaborating with the Overseas
Development Institute  and Imperial College London in organizing a research  workshop on
“The Future of Small Farms” in June 2005 in  Wye, England, that will bring together leading
experts to  review the available evidence on the current and future  status of smallholders in the
world.
We hope that the  release of this discussion paper on the eve of “The Future  of Small
Farms” workshop will stimulate and enrich the  debate and provide valuable insights for  articulating
critical steps to strengthening family farms.  The paper significantly contributes to
developing this  emerging theme at IFPRI, helping to identify research  priorities and to better
position IFPRI to undertake policy  research on the future of small farms. It is an important  step
toward accumulating a body of knowledge on the topic  and shaping an agenda for action.},
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/42256},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.42256},
}