Farm Management in a Changing World: Improving Smallholder Livelihoods in Low-income Countries

In a rapidly evolving agricultural landscape, smallholder farmers face unprecedented challenges that demand innovative solutions. This book highlights the crucial role of effective farm management in enabling smallholder farmers to prosper amidst these changing conditions. It advocates for viewing 'farming as a business': an approach that not only drives success but also attracts young people to agriculture as a rewarding profession. By adopting a business mindset, smallholder farmers can transform their agricultural activities into more resilient and profitable enterprises, even in the face of economic and environmental uncertainties. Drawing from decades of practical experience and field insights, the authors demonstrate how successful modern farming hinges on adopting new technologies and decision-making tools. They emphasize the importance of equipping farmers with the skills needed to make informed, strategic choices that enhance profitability and sustainability. This practical guidance is tailored to address the realities of smallholder farming in low-income countries, where resources are often limited and risk management is vital. The book also explores the essential role of farm business management advice (both public and private) as a foundation of modern agricultural advisory services. By elaborating on the significance of pluralistic advisory support, including the transformative use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), the book underscores how these innovations empower smallholder farmers to make better management decisions and navigate the complexities of contemporary agriculture. This book:Emphasizes the role of extension services in helping smallholder farmers make good business decisions.Considers the role of farming as a business in increasing the security of livelihoods.Focuses on the importance of decision making in adopting agricultural innovations.This book is highly relevant for students of development studies programmes with a specialization in agricultural development, especially in relation to agribusiness and food security. It will also be of value to professionals in the donor and NGO community involved in investment, production and marketing decisions related to farmers and farming.

David Kahan has over forty years experience in planning, implementation and evaluation of agricultural development projects. He specialises in rural institutions and supporting services (agricultural extension, marketing, financial services). His key areas of interest: agricultural innovation and extension, farm business management, agribusiness development, marketing extension, natural resource management, farming systems and capacity development. He has been a UN-FAO staff member, and has consultancy experience with WFP, IFAD, EU, DFID, CGIAR, AfDB, ADB and the World Bank.

For 20 years Steven Worth worked in Agricultural Extension and Development as a field practitioner and manager in South Africa and then another 20 years as a professor, researcher, Director of the African Centre for Food Security and Dean and Head of the School of Agriculture, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) from which he recently retired. He continues serving the university as a curriculum developer and manager of international projects in education. He brings to this book this wide-ranging expertise augmented by years of working as a private consultant with numerous public, private and NGOs agencies and agricultural educational institutions creating policies, plans and programmes on capacity development, wealth creation, rural development, and, especially, agricultural extension and education. Steven holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business Masters in Agricultural Development, and a PhD in Agricultural Extension and Rural Resource Management from UKZN, South Africa.