ABSTRACT
Chapter 7 argues the need to expand vegetable production in developing countries to improve the quality of diets and the incomes of smallholder farmers. However, climate change and variability in rainfall and temperature will make vegetable production in the outdoors riskier in the future. The chapter finds controlling climatic extremes through protected cultivation as a viable option that can bring large benefits to both smallholder farmers growing vegetables and consumers. Protected cultivation can help to optimize the use of increasingly expensive inputs such as land, water, labour, fertilizers and pesticides. The authors conclude that there is a need not only to improve low cost and efficient structure designs to cultivate vegetables, but also to recommend appropriate crop sequences and cultural practices to producers. Formation of self-help groups and cluster farm approaches could help to tackle knowledge gaps, financial limitations and marketing.
