Is there a future for small farms?

The demise of smallholdings has long been announced, yet the numbers of small farms continues to rise in most of the developing world. In the not-so-distant past, smallholder development have been successful, as seen in the green revolution in parts of Asia. But are current conditions and likely future conditions - globalization and liberalised agricultural trade, the emerging supply chains with supermarkets playing a greater role, falling commodity prices, etc. - changing the balance? And if smallholders are to thrive, what policies are needed?

This session draws on the proceedings of a workshop held at Imperial College in June 2005.