The regional study on small-scale agriculture in the NENA region focuses on understanding small and family farms, their structural changes, and public policies supporting them. It emphasizes the need for diverse strategies to enhance income generation, promote youth employment, and improve access to resources. The study methodology includes national analyses in selected countries, aiming to provide insights and recommendations for policy development and support for sustainable agricultural practices.

1. Regional study on
small scale
agriculture in the
NENA region
Jacques Marzin CIRAD, Omar Bessaoud
CIHEAM-IAMM, Pascal Bonnet CIRAD,
International Coordination Team
FAO Cairo 03-03-2015

2. Small and Family Farms
study in NENA regions
Part 1. Concepts and approach
Jacques Marzin and Pascal Bonnet (CIRAD),
Omar Bessaoud CIHEAM-IAMM
Département
Environement et Société
Cairo, March 3rd, 2015

3.  Origin of the study
 Recent (or not) work on family agriculture from
CIRAD and CIHEAM-IAMM teams
For the IYFF
 Maximization of synergies with RI SSA
Introduction (1)

4. www.fao.org/cfs/cfs-hlpe
Some publications

5. Some publications

6.  RAFAC network
 Regional Workshop on
FF. FAO-Tunis. Nov.
2013
 International
Symposium of
Montpellier. June 2014

7.  Technical issues are essential, but focusing on
SSA and FF imply not to do just business as
usual
 What are the consequences of the technical
recommendations / activities on SSA / FF?
Why consequences of the same technical innovation
may be different in different contexts?
So, need to understand if and why the technical issue is
a success. Need for concepts and contextualization
 Definition issues are important. But, the most
important is to know them, rather than
getting an unique and universal definition
Introduction (2)

8. Regional diversity of holding size patterns
in the 81-country subset of FAO-WCA

9. Size by volumes of sales (USA)
2007 2002
1997
Less than 50 000 US $ / year 78% 79%
76%
Source: USDA, 2009. 2007 Census of Agriculture. United States, 739 p.
With 30% increase in the less than 2500 US$ class and over 65% 500 000 US$

10. “Family farming can be defined as a form of agricultural
operation where the domestic sphere and production
activities share organic links, and which mobilizes only
family workers, excluding permanent hired labor”
Source : autors
A global definition and typology
consistent with census and with national strategies

11. 1. Small scale agriculture and family
farming
2. Structural change
3. Policy issues
Content

12.  Not one but multiple pathways to increase
income generation:
 labor intensification with increasing level of
inputs
 Diversification of incomes (in and off-farms)
 Scale economy : mechanization
 Integration of value added at level farm
(certification, local transformation and consumption…)
Small family farms (1)

13.  Small and family farms are not just
productive enterprises:
 Production, indeed, but not just production.
 Consumption, self-consumption, gender and
generational issues
 Different sources of inputs and destination of
outputs
 Social community interactions (access to
resources)
Small family farms (2)

14. SSA –FF in the context of the LiveliHood:
Policy instruments that sustain the strategies of households

15. 1. Small scale agriculture and family
farming
2. Structural change
3. Policy issues
Content

16.  Common long term dynamic : changes in
the economic specialization
 But pathways differ, and challenges have
changed :
 Existence of exit options from agriculture
 Youth employment issues
 Industrialization process change
 Services, and RH preparation
Structural change (1)

17. -1-.5
0
.5
1
4 6 8 10 12
LNGDPpc (Constant US$-2000)
Agri. GDP Share (LCU) Agri. Employment Share
Agri. GDP Share (LCU)minusAgri. Employment Share
Timmer 2009
A trend …

18. … but multiple pathways

19.  Agriculture versus rural approach or farms
versus landscape / territorial approach
 Employment is not just and agriculture issue.
Off farms, migrations, mobility
 Public investments matter: roads, local
markets, capacity building, provision of public
services …
Structural change (2)

20. Source: processing of UN data, World Population Prospects, 2010 Revision
South-Est Asia South and central Asia Sub-Saharan Africa
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
05
Billions of young workers arriving on the labor market
1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Employment for youth is a huge challenge

22. ES and agriculture practices:
trade-off and synergies
(Foley et al. 2005 Science)

23. 1. Small scale agriculture and family
farming
2. Structural change
3. Policy issues
Content

24.  One doesn’t fit all
 Prospective and strategic vision :
 what agriculture / population repartition / rural
landscape / natural resources availability do
we want in 20 years?
 What are the real dynamics of :
 SSA / family farms
 Structural change
 Policy coherence / diversity of the tools
Policy issues (1)

25. Family farming and natural resources management
No evidence of FF good practices, but specific knowledge

26.  Policies options exist:
Specific tools for SSA / FF or not
Different technical pathways (chemical
intensification, GMO, agroecology, organic
agriculture …)
Different organizations of value chain
Policy issues (2)

28.  Many possible policy tools to support small
scale and family producers :
Land and tenure policies
Price policy and regulation
Credit and insurance policies
Extension and regulation / support
Public support to private investments
Public support to producers organizations
Public investments in infrastructure
Policy issues (2)

29. Thank you so much

30. Regional study on small scale
agriculture in the NENA region:
Objectives, Results, Approach and
methodology
part 2: methodology, study planning,
perspectives

31. Study In a Nutshell
• National studies Objectives
– Gather Knowledge on
characterizing “Small Scale
Family Farming SSA, FF”,
structural change, public
policies (refer to part 1
concepts)
– Identify and Analyze
Experiences (projects /stories
/ case studies) + Policy
tools/instruments used
– Provide Recommandations
for further support by Public
Policy, and Methodological
Guidelines to replicating
studies in other contexts
• National studies Steps
– Assembling skills
– Launching National
workshop on methodology
– Data collection based on
stats and documents,
– Interviews and focus
groups: identification and
analysis of relevant case
studies
– Debriefing / Restitution to
FAO / National Ministries
– Study Synthesis
(comparative)

32. Steps
• Conceptual framework
– Development 2014-2015
– Sharing in meeting held in
Cairo, 2015 March 2nd and
3rd
• Selection of countries for
National studies
– five selected countries
(Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia,
Morocco, Mauritania)
• 4 focus countries (active in
RI)
• 1 RI candidate country
• Countries with Long standing
history of partnership with
CIRAD and CIHEAM IAMM ,
with variety of experience and
contrasted policies (including
NARS, Ministries, civil society,
private sector..) .. to avoid slow
implementation of study

33. Steps
• National team formation
• National coordinator
– Role: Leads the implementation of country studies, with as
much interaction as necessary between country teams and the
coordination team (CIRAD and CIHEAM-IAMM)
• 5 country teams
– Analysts in their domain
– Strong interactions with FAO representatives and concerned
Ministries
– Role: Identify a circle of key informants to be interviewed /
consulted, Carry out Interview , Analyse document and Data

34. Deliverables
5 national reports :
• A documented analysis based on available secondary data, describing
characteristics and dynamics of SSA-FF and their integration into the
national economy.
– the identification of existing typologies, and how they have contributed -or
not- to the design and implementation of targeted public policy;
– the identification of necessary information to measure or estimate the
contribution of SSA - FF to food, feed and non food production, food security,
employment -especially women and young- and the provision of ecosystem
services;
– the analysis of business models of the different kind of farms and of the
modalities of public support (economic or social) that impacts farm incomes
• (Issues of access to market, to credit and the social policies for most vulnerable farmers /
examples of success and failures;
– the situation of SSA-FF’s access to resources: land, water, capital as
conditions for their sustainability in a global changing environment
– the elements of a prospective reflexion on how the SSA-FF could play a role
at improving food security, tackling poverty, aligning agricultural income with
the one of other sectors

35. Deliverables
5 national reports (2)
• The identification of the websites of
organizations that focuses on the support to
SSA-FF in the country in terms of :
• research, promotion of innovation and policy tools;
• supply of credit services, market information,
technical and economic support;
• contribution of producers’ organizations, activities
targeted to SSA-FF, their governance, and their
capacity buildings programs.
• identifying the contribution of public institutions
involved in SSA-FF’s support.

36. Deliverables
5 national reports (3)
• A documented and historical analysis of the support that
SSA-FF are receiving through public policy, including:
– the identification of strategies, policies, programs or projects
specifically focused on SSA-FF, especially those with positive
results (case studies);
– a business models analysis of success stories aiming at linking
SSA-FF to markets and value chains. The analysis of the
reasons for this success, when documented, will be included.
• An executive summary to be presented at the final
national workshop
– WS with key partners aiming at identifying common actions
that promote the development of SSA-FF, in the framework of a
future national strategy for SSA-FF

37. Deliverables
Regional Synthesis Summary Report
• A regional synthesis summary report based on the 5 validated national
reports, summarizing the reports of national dialogues & meetings and
including:
– An analysis of the dynamics of family / smallholder agriculture, conditions
to improve their productivity and to better access and benefit from
markets/value chains
• (issues of rural youth jobs, and to the sustainability of production systems);
– Proposals for concrete actions to overcome the deficiencies and gaps
identified in terms of knowledge and coordination; in terms of lack of
professionalization of farmers associations
– Policy recommendations that would lead to a medium-term development
plan MTDP for the development of SSA-FF
• in order for FAO and its partners to establish plans of action with options for
scientific collaboration with Research Organisations, Cirad and CIHEAM
• Final regional workshop planned at the end of the study with participation
of national and international coordinators for presenting results
organized by FAO (including activities for the preparation of the program).

38. Study Planning in 3 phases
Phase 1
• Program within 6 month period
• Phase 1 / Month 1.5 (W1-6): Preliminary work & Focus on
Methodology
• The Validation of the methodology between the international coordination team
and national teams with the participation of FAO
– Methodology, team formation and precise definition and sharing of tasks
• Finalization of database structures to host
– Scientific bibliography
– Economic secondary data (SD)
– Regulatory framework: SD
– Institutions and Networks: SD
– Emblematic examples / case studies: SD
– Interviews: Ministries, Producers Organizations, private sector, political parties, civil society
• National Methodological Workshops

39. Four types of information will be
collected
• National (Ministries, POs, think tanks …) or International documents
– Institutional: Committee on World Food Security / HLPE, FAO (including the synthesis
of the regional dialogue in October 2013 in Tunis), IFAD, the World Bank, IMF,
CIHEAM, European Union ...)
– Academic and Non-academic literature focusing on the SFF, on the regulatory
framework and on agricultural public policies will be mobilized;
• Macroeconomic data to identify the dynamics of structural change
(national statistics);
• Information and messages sourced from websites of institutions and
networks working on the theme
– including national institutions and international organizations such as FAO, the World
Bank, ICARDA, ACSAD, ILRI, CIHEAM, CIRAD, World Rural Forum, ADB (AFDB)
and key NGOs;
• Interviews with national and local stakeholders in the agricultural and
rural development:
– Key informants: government ministries and local governments - within agriculture,
social security, employment, decentralization / local authorities ... - and politicians at
national and local level, leaders of producers organizations, organizations of civil
society, local development associations, researchers and representatives of private
agricultural sector and value chains;

40. Study Planning in 3 phases
Phase 2
• Phase 2 / (W4-18-26): Country study
• CS Country study W4: Kick off meeting
• Informing W4-W11: Structural change analysis, Access to
secondary data, Interviews, Synthesis macro economy, Synthesis
SFF, Synthesis success stories, Synthesis regulatory framework /
sectorial policies –credit, extension,
• First draft of country reports (Country Teams) W11
• Improvement of country reports, exchanges between country
team members and national coordinator (Team members) W11-13
• Improvement & Finalisation of country reports W13 -18
(International Coord + National)

41. Study Planning in 3 phases
Ph3
• Regional synthesis
– Final global report (synthesis) including final
versions of country studies W18-26
• The presentation of the study summary and the
debate on results, with eventually the facilitation
of a political dialogue and the formalization of
final proposals and recommendations.

42. Perspective and vision…built on the
“lessons learnt”• FAO
– RI framework: improved coordination and integration with partners involved
– Proposals :
• knowledge platform to share informations - strengthening appropriation of results of
actions supporting Family Farming
• Exchange mechanisms (exchange experience and skills..) on FF& SSA
• Countries
– Thematic Workshop (employment opportunities for youth, rural
diversification of activities, gender approach, public policy tools…)
– To feed Prospectives (Agriculture for the futur ? Farms models ? Tenure
legislation? Rural society..)
• Research
– Conjointly building of research questions (typologies of SSA, technical
model,…) and assisting capacity building (training sessions …)
– Promote research networks and research activities in line with your efforts

43. Thank you so much

44. Thank you for your attention

45. Adoption of the regional study on
small scale agriculture in the NENA
region proposal
Discussions Points of clarification,
Emphasis

46. Context /
trends
Structure Activities Performance /
sustainability
Environment /
determinants
Access permitted
by…
Livelihood platform Composed of and resulting in
Composed of
With effects on
National & internat.
trends & context
Population &
migration..
technological change,
..
national policies,
Shocks
Drough, Floods, Pests,
Diseases, Civil war.
Institutions
•Rules and customs
•Land tenure
•Markets in practice
Organisations
•Local associations
•NGOs
•Local administration
•State agencies
Liveliho
od
Strategi
es
Specialization
Diversification
Intensification
(chemical
Ecological),
Extensification,
Concentration /
fragmentation
Migration,
Rental strategies
Combined
strategies,
including
collective
Naturel
ressources based
activities
•NR-based non
farm and non farm
activities
•Cultivation (food &
market)
•Cattering (food &
market)
•Livestock
Non naturel
ressources based
activities
•Wages
•Rural trade
•Rural services
•Rural manufacture
•Remittances
•Others transfers
Economical sust.
Production & income
level and stability
Seasonality
Degrees of risk
Food security
Market integration
Environm. sust.
ESS/ES
Soil & land qualitiy
Water
Rangeland
Forests
Biodiversity
Energetic balance
Carbon balance
capabilities / functioning
Social relations
•Gender /Class
•Age
•Ethnicity
•Urban/rural
•Social & political
participation
Social and
human
sustainability
Gain in education
Health situation
Social & political
part.
Collective dynamics
Tangible &
intangible
(claims) assets
Natural capital
Physical capital
Human capital
Financial capital
Social capital
Local trends &
context
local economic trends
(incl. comodity
chains),
collective dynamics,
access to public goods,
natural ressources
Sourisseau et al, 2012 (derived from Chambers 1991 and Scoones 2009 SRL)