Systems-based approaches to help smallholder farmers face climate change and transition to profitable, resilient farming

More than 80% of farms worldwide have holdings of less than 2 hectares. Distributed throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America, they produce roughly 35% of the world’s food, typically using low-input, rainfed agriculture that depends mostly on family labor, with little or no mechanization or fertilizer, and mainly for local consumption. Their activities contribute little to global warming but they inordinately suffer its extremes, including rising temperatures and extended droughts. Boosting their productivity and profits are a key part of improving rural livelihoods.