The National Agriculture Investment Plans(NAIPs) of five countries – Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Burkina Faso – are being analysed in this report. It assesses the extent to which these countries are likely to benefit smallholder farmers. The NAIPs are the flagship strategies of governments, outlining how they will support the agriculture sector in the coming years, and include ambitious spending plans.
If the NAIPs are to transform agriculture, and promote broader development, they must focus on the people who do most of the farming – smallholder farmers, who are usually defined as those with less than two hectares of land. Yet smallholders have often been neglected in government policy, despite comprising the majority of Africa’s population. In addition to low spending on agriculture in many countries, much spending has insufficiently prioritised the needs of smallholder farmers.
