Smallholder farmers can provide climate-smart products but face challenges accessing markets. In São Tomé and Principe, cocoa exports increased ten-fold through partnerships connecting smallholders to niche markets paying premiums for organic and Fairtrade goods. For consumers to support climate-smart products, they need to understand the benefits to farmers, the environment, and themselves. Bringing such goods to large scale requires helping smallholders with knowledge, financing, and market access, while establishing metrics and labels clarify the products' climate impacts.

1. How to get climate-smart smallholder
goods to market
Jeff Brez, IFAD

2. Evidence of impact
1. Smallholders are natural providers of climate-smart
products
2. Niche market opportunities such as organics and
Fairtrade are bringing premiums to smallholders in São
Tomé and Principe, where cocoa exports have
increased ten-fold since 2004 through public-private
partnerships
3. While climate smart smallholder agriculture is an
undefined concept for consumers, they may be willing
to pay more for a “climate smart” product if they
better understand the full benefits to farmers, to the
environment and to themselves as well

3. Going to scale
1. Providing smallholders with knowledge
sharing, technical support, and access to
finance and markets
2. Developing metrics to demonstrate to
consumers the benefits that accrue to farmers
and to environment
3. Development and positioning of a “climate
smart” label under either an existing product
label or on its own