Small Producer Agency in the Globalised Market

Three-quarters of the world’s 1.2 billion poor people live in rural areas. The majority are still small-scale producers who depend on agriculture and natural resources for their livelihoods. International markets have been seen as a way out of poverty and food insecurity for small-scale producers. These markets comprise traditional food and fibre commodities, but also new markets for quality products, biodiversity conservation, and mitigation of climate change.

Increasing volatility and stringent requirements in these markets, as well as international trade agreements, present smallholders and their organisations with multiple opportunities and risks. Higher value has to be weighed against the costs of meeting international standards and certification for quality products and the imbalance of market power when trading with large companies. Imports markets can exclude small producers from their home markets.

The roles of producer organisations, governments and big business in making global and regional markets work better for development are all disputed. Each organisation has its own set of assumptions and recommendations about the risks and opportunities for small-scale farmers. Should producer organisations and their federations focus on rights-based approaches that recognise farmers’ rights as citizens, or market-based approaches that recognise the entrepreneurial nature of smallholder agriculture? Should government revive its traditional role in the regulation of markets in the face of uncertainties in the global economy? Can international companies change their business models to include small-scale producers in fair and equitable trading relationships?

For smallholders and their organisations to position themselves and make effective choices – in other words, to build agency – in the face of this complex agenda requires information and capacity to organise their interests and take effective action. But it also requires a widening of the debate, to include new voices and new insights.