Partnering with the Private Sector to Reach Smallholder Farmers

As governments and development organizations increasingly step in to help identify and support sustainable, market-based solutions that bring agricultural innovations and services to smallholder farmers, more evidence is needed on the types of approaches that are most effective. Smallholder farmers are critical to global food security and economic growth; however, they have largely been overlooked by the private sector, constraining their productivity and income potential. To successfully engage the private sector and improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, it is critical to gain a refined understanding of which solutions work – and which do not.

The report’s key findings indicate that the partnership approach USAID has taken in the Partnering for Innovation program is a promising way to catalyze entry, expansion, and commercial sustainability of private sector companies within the smallholder farmer market segment.