Full title: The Rising Class of Emergent Farmers: An Effective Model for Achieving Agricultural Growth and Poverty Reduction in Africa?

Nicholas J. Sitko and T.S. Jayne

Seemingly contrary to the expectations of those who see little future in smallholder agriculture, Zambia has witnessed over the last 10 years a massive increase in the number of so?called emergent farmers. This article explores the factors driving the growth of the emergent farm sector in Zambia in an effort to identify the policies that contributed to this growth and to evaluate whether or not this strategy offers an effective way to address issues of poverty and hunger in Africa.