Can horticultural production help African smallholders to escape dependence on export of tropical agricultural commodities?
Author: Mauro Gioè Date: 05/11/2008 Introduction: In this article the author questions whether the opportunities that horticulture now face with a growing rate in international trade in Fresh Horticultural and Floricultural Products (FHFP) may be changing for worse or better in the future. Attention is paid to the impact of horticultural production on smallholders, considering in particular the recent changes occurred along the global value chain of horticulture and the increasingly stringent food and regulatory standards. It further deals with the issue of volatility and decline of commodity prices and discusses the case in favour of diversification of agricultural production. The horticultural sector worldwide is analysed and the author considers the successful example of Kenya. The last section concludes presenting the main findings of the paper.Read this document.
