Small Farms in the Paradigm of Sustainable Development

Challenges in Sustainability, 2020

Today, agroecology is more than a science; it is a movement that advocates for a sustainable redesign of the global food system. Some of its acknowledged protagonists plead for a redesign based on the support of and for small-scale farming because small farms are considered more sustainable than large farms. The present review explores the arguments that leading agroecologists use for justifying their preference for small (frequently peasant) farms. In this review, small farms are defined as possessing a mean agricultural area of maximum two hectares, being family-owned, emphasizing outdoor production, and annually producing at least two different crops or livestock. Peasant farms are defined as subsistent small farms in developing countries. The review includes an overview of the current state of small farms and their most severe challenges. Agroecological publications of the last thirty years were scanned for arguments that sustain the hypothesis that small farms are more sustainable. It was found that there are no studies that directly compare the sustainability of farms based on their size. Instead, most studies cited to confirm the sustainability of small farms compare farms that differ in terms of both, size and farm management. Hence, it is likely that the reason for the advanced sustainability of small farms is their management, not their size. The assertion that small farms are a priori more sustainable than large ones is not supportable. Misleading use of the term "small farms" may impede the efforts of agroecology to stimulate sustainable food production.

Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, 1996

A new, post-industrial, paradigm for agriculture is emerging under the concept of sustainable agriculture. The sustainability paradigm has emerged to solve problems created by the industrial model, primarily environmental pollution and resource base degradation. The role of farm size in this transformation to a more sustainable agriculture is the issue addressed. Using a descriptive approach, and relying on a survey of the literature including emerging paradigms and observations, we conclude that, from a sustainability perspective, the smallest effective size will be the most competitive size for farms, as for other knowledge-based enterprises of the future.

Challenges in Sustainability, 2020

Today, agroecology is more than a science; it is a movement that advocates for a sustainable redesign of the global food system. Some of its acknowledged protagonists plead for a redesign based on the support of and for small-scale farming because small farms are considered more sustainable than large farms. The present review explores the arguments that leading agroecologists use for justifying their preference for small (frequently peasant) farms. In this review, small farms are defined as possessing a mean agricultural area of maximum two hectares, being family-owned, emphasizing outdoor production, and annually producing at least two different crops or livestock. Peasant farms are defined as subsistent small farms in developing countries. The review includes an overview of the current state of small farms and their most severe challenges. Agroecological publications of the last thirty years were scanned for arguments that sustain the hypothesis that small farms are more sustainable. It was found that there are no studies that directly compare the sustainability of farms based on their size. Instead, most studies cited to confirm the sustainability of small farms compare farms that differ in terms of both, size and farm management. Hence, it is likely that the reason for the advanced sustainability of small farms is their management, not their size. The assertion that small farms are a priori more sustainable than large ones is not supportable. Misleading use of the term "small farms" may impede the efforts of agroecology to stimulate sustainable food production.

Frontiers in plant science, 2016

The sustainable intensification of African agriculture is gaining momentum with the compelling need to increase food and agricultural production. In Southern Africa, smallholder farming systems are predominately maize-based and subject to erratic climatic conditions. Farmer crop and soil management decisions are influenced by a plethora of complex factors such as market access resource availability, social relations, environment, and various messages on sustainable farming practices. Such factors pose barriers to increasing sustainable intensification in Africa. This paper characterizes smallholder farming practices in Central Malawi, at Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation (Africa RISING) project sites. We present findings from a survey of 324 farmers, located within four Africa RISING sites selected in a stratified random manner to represent (1) low agricultural potential (high evapotranspiration, variable rainfall), (2) medium agricultural potent...

Smallholder farms in developing countries are key to global food security and sustainability of agricultural systems. Suitable tools are needed to assess the utility of these systems for long-term policy interventions. We outline the development of a sustainability index for smallholder systems by amalgamating ecological frameworks and sustainable livelihood framework. We critically describe the process involved in the development of the indicator framework, selection of indicators, their measurement and assignment of weight, and aggregation to arrive at a composite index. A practical tool based on this index may prove helpful for long-term sustainability assessment in smallholder farms of developing countries.

Small-scale farmers play a significant role in the global food system. While the outcomes of Ecologically Sustainable Development(ESD) aim to be beneficial to humanity and the environment, small-scale farmers are pushed to adapt ESD approaches without enough support and still with their unresolved perennial issues. Though there are numerous researches on the relationship of the global food system, agriculture, climate change and ESD, studies on the role of small-scale farmers have been relatively underdeveloped. This paper reviews the role of small-scale farmers in the global food system and identifies the challenges and opportunities in the context of ESD. To do this, the author did an extensive review of literature covering the areas of small-scale farmers, the roles and challenges they face in the global food system as well as in ESD. The results revealed that small-scale farmers, most of whom are in middle to low-income countries, feed around 70% of the world population and are still experiencing persistent problems of lack of access to resources, unsecured land rights and adapting to climate change. Approaches in achieving ESD outcomes positively and negatively impact small-scale farmers as it affects how they utilise agricultural resources. However, governments should ensure equity and provide support in pursuing sustainable approaches. The review concludes with options to move forward rooted in ESD principles-increased participation of farmers in decision-making, sustainable education, sustainable resource use, responsible agriculture investment and nutrition-sensitive food systems.

Global International Journal of Innovative Research, 2024

Sustainableintensificationofsmallholderfarmingsystemshasemergedasacrucialstrategyforaddressingthedualchallengesoffoodsecurityand environmentalsustainabilityindevelopingregions.Thisapproachseekstoincreaseagriculturalproductivityonexistingfarmlandwhileminimizing negativeenvironmentalimpactsandensuringthesocialandeconomicwell-beingofsmallholderfarmers.Thisarticleexplorestheprinciples,practices,andpotentialbenefitsofsustainableintensificationwithinsmallholder farmingsystems.Byintegratingimprovedagriculturaltechniques,suchasagroecology,precisionfarming,andintegratedpestmanagement,withlocalknowledgeandresources,sustainableintensificationaimstoenhancecropyields,soilhealth,andresourceefficiency.Thestudyalsoexaminesthe barrierstoadoptingthesepractices,includinglimitedaccesstotechnology,marketconstraints,andpolicygaps,whilehighlightingtheroleofcommunityengagement,education,andsupportivepoliciesinovercomingthese challenges.Furthermore,thearticlediscussestheimplicationsofsustainableintensificationforclimateresilienceandbiodiversityconservation, emphasizingitspotentialtocontributetoglobaleffortstoachieve sustainabledevelopmentgoals.Thefindingssuggestthatwiththeright supportandadaptationtolocalconditions,sustainableintensificationcanplayavitalroleintransformingsmallholderfarmingsystemsintomore productive,resilient,andsustainablesourcesoffoodandlivelihoods.

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 1983

Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 9 (1983)401--405 401 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam --Printed in The Netherlands

2009

This issue of Agricultural Economics contains articles from a seminar entitled "Small Farms: Decline or Persistence?" held at the University of Kent. This issue includes nine papers selected from more than 50 papers presented at the seminar. Articles published use a range of econometric and simulation methods to provide a suite of case studies. Topics studied range from such fundamental issues as what constitutes a small farm to recent trends in the diversification of small farms and their integration into modern globalized food chains. Several papers emphasize the link between agricultural policy development and the future of small farms.

Ekonomia i Środowisko - Economics and Environment

The aim of the article is to assess the environmental sustainability of small-scale faming. The authors tried to reach the farmers' subjective opinion, their way of thinking, attitudes and determinants affecting environmental performance. The use of in-depth interviews gave a chance to draw reliable and accurate conclusions on the analysed topic and register many elements that could be omitted using quantitative methods. Thus, the work forms a complementary part of research on the sustainability of small-scale farms, which is its main added value. Furthermore, the use of data from three EU member states - Poland, Romania and Lithuania - provided a basis for comparative analysis. Conclusions proved that small farms perform important environmental functions in rural areas. It results from the very essence of this type of farms, based on the cultivation of traditions and experience passed down from generation to generation, as well as from the family nature of these units.