
Inclusive markets
Smallholder and family farmers have gotten a pretty raw deal. They produce food for a substantial proportion of the world’s population, but their choices are constrained, and they often live without food security and access to markets and services.
While the world continues to urbanize at extraordinary rates, nearly 8 out of every 10 working poor live in rural areas. More and better employment opportunities are needed for rural populations if we are to eradicate poverty and hunger.
Efficient agricultural markets and trade can drive agriculture-led economic growth, but efforts to move toward a market-oriented economy are often hampered by ineffective policies, weak institutions, inadequate infrastructure, and unequal social relations. These bottlenecks often make women and marginalized groups more vulnerable to the effects of poverty, land degradation, climate change, and other shocks.
Toolbox
Tools and methodologies to make market linkages work

What we do: A better deal for farmers and consumers
CIAT supports smallholder farmers overcome the many constraints they face. To bring smallholder agriculture from subsistence to profit, CIAT is spearheading research on inclusive economies.
We strive to make smallholder agriculture more market-oriented and competitive by developing tools and knowledge to strengthen value chains, while also working with the private sector to promote inclusive business models.
How we do it: Driving systemic change
By analyzing new partnerships within the public and private sector, considering new business models for smallholder inclusion, promoting sustainable sourcing, and uncovering new financial tools for social entrepreneurship and agro-enterprise development, we believe that significant progress can be made towards ending poverty and hunger.
- New business models for sustainable trading relationships
- Social entrepreneurship for pro-poor agriculture development
- Sustainable, inclusive supply chains
- Distribution, access, and food security issues for developing countries
- Public policies for inclusive supply chains in Latin America
To this end, CIAT has also developed various methodological guides and tools to support other institutions that are interested in implementing participatory agribusiness development programs.

Our impact
The world’s third largest consumer goods company, Unilever, has adopted CIAT’s LINK methodology in support of its Sustainable Living Plan to help its buyers deal with smallholder farmers worldwide and develop inclusive trade relationships.
Heifer International has trained its technical staff in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Haiti, and all of South America in the use of the LINK Methodology as a way to foster more inclusive business models.
In Latin America only, there are over 50 cases in which the LINK methodology was used as a development tool, evaluation tool, or business tool to build more inclusive and sustainable business models between producer associations and buyers.
Research updates
markets | CIAT Blog Science to Cultivate Change
- International analytics award goes to CGIAR centers for...on June 2, 2020 at 4:58 pm
The 2020 Innovative Applications in Analytics Award (IAAA) was awarded to the […]
- Opinion: We can do better to achieve zero deforestation and...on March 9, 2018 at 1:08 pm
In an op-ed published on Devex, Augusto Castro-Nuñez, Marcela Quintero, […]
- CIAT work on nutrition sensitive value chains in East...on November 24, 2017 at 8:52 pm
CIAT staff invited by FAO Rome to present results on BMZ funded project on […]
- The vision for a deforestation-free Amazonon October 19, 2017 at 8:03 pm
The Amazon Vision Program, an initiative of the Colombian government, with the […]
- REDD+ as a peacebuilding strategy: what are the...on September 1, 2017 at 4:09 pm
Researcher at CIAT, used household-level surveys and data at the municipal […]
- Boosting African agribusiness with a new generation of...on June 23, 2017 at 8:54 pm
LFM team of CIAT and the EDC initiative of CTA just published a new policy […]
Projects
Latest publications
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Data
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Staff
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