Industry Perspectives On Gaining Access to Agronomic Inputs - Chemistry.

Globally, there are over 450 million smallholder farms in non-OCED countries, with 2 ha of land or less.  These farms are concentrated in China, the Indian subcontinent and Africa and they support 2.3 billion people directly, while feeding hundreds of million more.  These farms tend to be among the most inefficient in terms of yields per ha and profitability. There are a number of constraints to smallholder farmers maximizing good agricultural practices and use of inputs.  This requires an understanding both of agricultural input markets and extension services in developing countries, as well as the socio-economic profiles of small holders and related agricultural regulations.  This talk will discuss the agriculture and market systems in which smallholders operate, as well as some practical systemic examples drawn from Asia and Africa as to how the usage gap is being addressed.