Tipping the balance. Policies to shape agricultural investments and markets in favour of small-scale farmers

This report written by Bill Vorley, Lorenzo Cotula et Man-Kwun Chan studies the role of public policies and market governance in ensuring inclusive sustainable development. It identifies the key policy levers and how these tip commercial investments in favour of either small- or large-scale farming, and how policy levers influence market governance to constrain or support the fair sharing of risk and reward between small-scale producers and the rest of the market. The focus of the analysis is on national policy, with international policy discussed insofar as it affects national policy and investment processes. The work was supported by four country case studies, conducted in Guatemala, Nigeria, Tanzania and the Philippines.

Oxfam, IIED – December 2012