Diversification into Horticulture and Poverty Reduction: A Research Agenda

Summary Horticultural produce and processed products from the developing world are becoming increasingly popular both in domestic and in international markets. Global production and exports are rising steadily. However, yield increases have been smaller than area growth and have been negligible or even negative in the least developed countries. While experience shows that horticulture can offer good opportunities for poverty reduction because it increases income and generates employment, care must be taken that small and poor farmers are not excluded from the opportunities in these market sectors. In this article, we argue that development agencies must put more emphasis on horticultural research and development, especially in the following priority areas: genetic improvement, safe production systems, commercial seed production, postharvest facilities, and the urban/peri-urban environment.