ABSTRACT
Evidence is emerging showing that much of sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing major changes in farmland ownership patterns. The continent has witnessed a rise in the number of commercialized medium-scale farmers. This refers to farmers operating between 5 and 100 hectares of land. This group has little in common with large-scale commercial farmers in terms of farm size, access to finance, input application rates and farm management strategies. This paper discusses ways in which the changing farm structure is likely to affect agri-food systems in Southern Africa and the policy implications thereof.
