Section 1 Methods
The study should provide a context-setting chapter that attempts to characterize, scale, locate, point to prioritization of high-level smallholder commercialization strategies, opportunities and challenges. A proposed approach is to chracterize SHFs and frame business strategies within a 2-by-2 domain framework (low/high rainfed ag potential across low/high market access areas). This approach assumes that agricultural development and adaptation strategies are largely driven by pre-existing bio-physical and spatial conditions.
We propose then focusing on around half a dozen countries for which we have recent/accessible microdata (e.g. LSMS-ISA and maybe AGRA baseline surveys) to look more closely, in the same 2x2 domain framework, at specific farm household and macro characteristics to do two things:
- Apply some typology to distinguish between say “predominantly-subsistence” focused and “transitioning-commercial” smallholders
- Report on hh level variables that can provide insight into the scale of potential business development challenges and opportunities in each country.
Fig. 1.1: Suggested Approach (05/02/2017)
Key farm and household-level variables to look at may include:
- Time to Market
- Average yield
- Yield gap
- Average size of land holdings
- Share of land harvested
- Production (amount by crop types)
- Consumption
- Rural households population
- Urban households population
- Rural and urban poverty
- Average household size
- Households by head (Male, Female)
- Average age of the individuals
- Households size
- Education
- Households level income diversification
- Livestock assets
- Ownership of mobile phones
- Households who receive credit
- Households who receive credit from bank or MFI
- Access to extension services
- People in working age (16-64)
- Use of improved technologies and farm management practices
- Average wage rate
- Land rental rate
- Any information on agri-business or agro processing?