Smallholder farmers in developing countries often suffer from high risk and limited market access. Contract farming may improve the situation under certain conditions. Several studies analyzed effects of contracts on smallholder productivity and income with mixed results. Most existing studies...

This paper addresses various aspects of risk and risk management for smallholders in developing countries, and presents a quantitative assessment of farm-level risks and risk management strategies in three emerging economies: Brazil, China and Viet Nam. The analysis covers production, income,...

Kazakhstan is now widely regarded as a key player on world agricultural markets, with considerable export potential in the wheat, beef and dairy sectors. Based on unique farm-level data covering all production systems currently relevant, we offer new insights into the constraints that hamper...

This paper reviews the situation in the agricultural sector and food security in Cuba and in particular the transformations that have (not) taken place since 1990. We compare the Cuban transition with transitions in other "transition countries" and show that Cuba does not fit easily in one of...

The role of culture in connection with the development of food and bioeconomy issues has gained growing importance in recent years. In this editorial we provide background information on the three key topics addressed by the papers published in this special issue: cultural ecosystem services,...

The expansion in farm size is an important contributor to agricultural productivity in developed countries, but the reallocation process is hindered in less developed economies. How do distortions to factor reallocation affect farm dynamics and agricultural productivity? We develop a model of...

We analyse the microeconomic determinants of the extent of crop diversification in Afghanistan by employing instrumental variable Tobit analysis using data from a cross-section survey of 8,613 farm households in 364 districts in all 34 provinces collected in 2013/14. The estimates of the...