Can Small Farmers Survive, Prosper, or be the Key Channel to Cut Mass Poverty?

The paper reviews the role of small farms in development and poverty reduction in countries (or regions within a country) with persistent mass poverty. It discusses the arguments supporting the importance of agricultural development for poverty and argues that initial success in reduction of mass poverty requires prior agricultural developments. It explores in particular the role of smallscale farming and policy requirements to ensure the competitive advantage of small farms.