ABSTRACT
Although some of the issues affecting smallholder wheat production systems may fall solely within historically defined disciplines (i.e. agronomy, plant breeding, mechanisation, postharvest handling, marketing etc.), most issues have multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary ramifications (Godfray et al., 2010a,b). Addressing these issues requires multi-partner, systems-level approaches to transform the rapid developments in wheat research into products and services for development. Smallholder wheat agri-food systems are highly interconnected with other socio-economic activities, locally and globally, such that no one aspect can be considered in isolation. Therefore, any future improvements in smallholder wheat cultivation should consider sustainable intensification of the systems. That is, there is need to sustainably increase yields and reduce yield gaps for wheat farming systems and improve post-harvest handling and marketing. This calls for improved efficiency in using agricultural inputs, minimising negative environmental impact and reducing post-harvest loss.
