Tipping the Balance

A recent wave of large-scale land acquisitions and other commercial investment in agriculture has raised concerns that small-scale producers are being marginalised. This report takes a new look at the role of public policy levers and how these tip commercial investments in favour of either small- or large-scale farming, and how policy levers influence market governance to constrain or support the fair sharing of risk and reward between small-scale producers and the elements that can specifically contribute to gender-equitable results. The focus of the analysis is on national policy, with international policy discussed insofar as it affects national policy and investment processes. The work was supported by four country case studies, conducted in Guatemala, Nigeria, Tanzania and the Philippines.