About this Research Topic

Background

The FAO estimated that five out of six farms in the world are operating less than two hectares of land, suggesting that small-holder farmers are producing over one-third of the global food. The cropping systems practiced by smallholder farmers play a vital role in agri-food production systems and help to reduce hunger, improve nutrition, and provide livelihoods to millions across the developing countries. The performance of these cropping systems has a direct impact on achieving the multiple Sustainable Development Goals (2030) of No Poverty (SDG 1), Zero Hunger (SDG 2), and Good Health and Wellbeing (SDG 3). System intensification is now widely recognized as an essential pathway to achieve food and nutrition security in developing countries. The numbers of smallholder farmers are rapidly increasing in both developing and underdeveloped countries, however, they are increasingly facing challenges to run profitably. Cropping system intensification (CSI) could be one of the ways to make such production systems more remunerative for these farmers.

Smallholder agricultural production systems need to evolve around sustainable intensification principles in order to increase agricultural productivity while minimizing the environmental and social trade-offs. In different regions, the farmers’ decision as to which cropping system they will use is influenced by several biotic, abiotic, and socio-economic factors. Despite the choice of cropping intensification systems suitable for different conditions, farmers are often not open to trying these. To the farmer, these systems are new, unknown, and may require different resources and therefore are perceived as high risk compared to their already well-practiced methods.

Research based recommendations for cropping system intensification are often drawn from the improved yields and return of the crops but ignore the socio-economic factors affecting their suitability. Researchers and policymakers must therefore understand the socio-economic factors involved with transitioning to cropping system intensification in order to support smallholder farmers in adopting profitable cropping systems on a wider scale.

This Research Topic welcomes authors to contribute original research and review papers highlighting trends in farm sizes, production, and productivity, and successful experiences of cropping system intensification. Contributions may highlight what works and what does not work for smallholder farmers, the social and economic impact of cropping systems, sustainable food value chain, food, nutrition, and health outcomes of the cropping systems practiced, and emerging opportunities for the smallholder farmers. Submissions are invited on the following themes (but not limited to):

1. Distribution of farmlands, trends in farm sizes across countries and the impact on cropping system intensification.
2. Developing profitable cropping systems for smallholder farmers as a business and the challenges of adoption.
3. Cropping systems for smallholder farmers in line with achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) .
4. Integration of smallholder agriculture into a diversified rural economy, the implications on livestock rearing and their linkages with agri-food value chains and support to employment generation.
5. Contribution of women in smallholder cropping systems, gender equality, food and nutrition balance and health outcomes.
6. Socio-economic impact, constraints in adoption and diffusion of profitable CSI options in relation to smallholder farmers.
7. Survey and/or experimental studies on the relative profitability of cropping systems to smallholder farmers amidst the effects of climate change or changes to the environment.
8. Meta-analysis on potential benefits of region-wise small-holder cropping systems, institutional mechanisms and supporting policies for intensification and up-scaling and out-scaling.
9. The trade-off between economic, social and environmental outcomes of CSI options and their management.

Keywords: socio-economic impact, determinants, policy, food production, cropping systems, small-holder farms

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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