A scoping review of the contributions of farmers’ organizations to smallholder agriculture
Autor: | Beth Timmers, Livia Bizikova, Lixia Tang, Chinwe Ifejika Speranza, Ashley Casandra Celestin, Kate Ghezzi-Kopel, Margitta Minah, Julie Kelly, Ephraim Nkonya, Muthumariappan Karthikeyan, Markus Hanisch, Rama Mohana R. Turaga |
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Rok vydání: | 2020 |
Předmět: |
Food security
business.industry media_common.quotation_subject 05 social sciences Developing country 04 agricultural and veterinary sciences Agricultural economics Agriculture 0502 economics and business 040103 agronomy & agriculture 0401 agriculture forestry and fisheries Production (economics) Animal Science and Zoology 050202 agricultural economics & policy Natural resource management business Empowerment Agronomy and Crop Science Environmental degradation Productivity Food Science media_common |
Zdroj: | Nature Food. 1:620-630 |
ISSN: | 2662-1355 |
Popis: | Farmers’ organizations (FOs), such as associations, cooperatives, self-help and women’s groups, are common in developing countries and provide services that are widely viewed as contributing to income and productivity for small-scale producers. Here, we conducted a scoping review of the literature on FO services and their impacts on small-scale producers in sub-Saharan Africa and India. Most reviewed studies (57%) reported positive FO impacts on farmer income, but much fewer reported positive impacts on crop yield (19%) and production quality (20%). Environmental benefits, such as resilience-building and improved water quality and quantity were documented in 24% of the studies. Our analysis indicates that having access to markets through information, infrastructure, and logistical support at the centre of FO design could help integrate FOs into policy. Natural resource management should also be more widely incorporated in the services provided by FOs to mitigate risks associated with environmental degradation and climate change. Finally, farmers who are already marginalized because of poor education, land access, social status and market accessibility may require additional support systems to improve their capacities, skills and resources before they are able to benefit from FO membership. Associations, cooperatives, women’s groups and other farmers’ organizations are generally considered beneficial to smallholders, but more evidence on their broader impact is needed. This scoping review, focused on sub-Saharan Africa and India, draws on the findings of 239 studies to elicit the contributions of farmers’ organizations to production, income, empowerment, food security and the environment. |
Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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