The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was fundamentally reformed in 2003. From 2005, farmers will receive decoupled income support payments instead of production premiums if basic standards for environment, food safety, animal health and welfare are met. Farmers are likely to adjust production and management practices to the new policy framework. We describe how this reform fits into the EU stra...

Because of climatic constraints, agriculture in temperate areas of India is mostly limited to a single grain crop. During winters vegetable or oilseed crops may be cultivated at the lower altitudes but the higher altitudes remain barren due to snow cover. Horticulture, another important pursuit of farmers is again limited to summers. In order to supplement their income, the farmers in these are...

In the ear’ly 1980s, however, it became evident that farm exports would decline and that farm income growth would fall short of earlier expectations. From 1980 to 1986, farmers lost $293 billion in equity as farm real estate values declined to r’eflect the lower’ earning potential. Moreover, as crop prices fell by 14,4 percent from 1980 to 1986, many farmers were unable to meet their debt oblig...

Contract farming has been subject to intense debates regarding its role in development. Opponents argue that large agribusiness companies generally exploit the low labour costs of smallholders and transfer production risks to farmers, while smallholder farmers are often excluded from contract farming schemes. This means that such schemes result in greater income inequality and social tensions i...

In the ear’ly 1980s, however, it became evident that farm exports would decline and that farm income growth would fall short of earlier expectations. From 1980 to 1986, farmers lost $293 billion in equity as farm real estate values declined to r’eflect the lower’ earning potential. Moreover, as crop prices fell by 14,4 percent from 1980 to 1986, many farmers were unable to meet their debt oblig...

Current climate variability is already imposing significant challenge to Ethiopia. Therefore, farmers have faced income variability in almost every production season. Problems associated with dependence on rain fed agriculture are common in Ethiopia. Smallholder farmers’ vulnerability from such income variability is also common. Over the years, a range of risk management strategies have been us...