Farmers can increase their net yearly income by 80 to 140 percent when they have access to productivity-enhancing technologies such as improved seeds, micro-irrigation systems or hybrid cow breeds.

In contrast, interventions focusing exclusively on ‘fixing’ dysfunctional markets and redistributing value in the supply chain—such as replacing informal traders, improving market access and passing on price premiums—only increased farmers’ incomes by between 20 percent and 60 percent.

Providing technologies also puts farmers in the drivers’ seat: it empowers them with the means to improve their productivity and income.

In turn, larger and more successful farmers are in a better position to negotiate prices, access and contracts. Much has been written about smallholder farmers’ risk aversion when considering new practices and technologies... — blogs.adb.org/blog