By Mr. David Hitchcock, Agribusiness and Infrastructure Officer, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Mr. Hitchcock’s presentation focused on the macro-side or larger picture of agribusiness, which is an important aspect to understand about agriculture. There are real differences between small holders (small farmers) and the agri-businessmen and recent sector trends and impacts have made farmers very vulnerable. In general, the private sector continues to play an important role and more and more farmers are being disenfranchised. The market has also changed significantly since the 1970s such that while there are now more opportunities (e.g. bigger profits) for small farmers, there are also more risks. Other movements in agri-food systems include globalization, urbanization, changing diets, more women in the economy, etc.
Continue reading about the The Market Situation and the Challenges for Small Farmers here….