Esta cartilha e resultado de um trabalho de pesquisa realizado por instituicoes e grupos de produtores rurais. Os elementos principais do seu delineamento foram escolhidos pelos proprios leitores potenciais: os agricultores. Os exemplos narrados sao reais e formam parte da experiencia dos Comites de Pesquisa Agriucola Local que participaram do projeto desde seu inicio. Na elaboracao das cartilhas participaram os Comites de Pesquisa Agricola Local das comunidades Cinco Dias, El Diviso, Pescador, Sao Bosco, Sotara e Portachuelo de Cauca, Colombia.

Markets are increasingly seen as vehicles to solve problems in developing countries. For example, improvements in market performance make potentially important contributions to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Access of smallholders to well-functioning markets is increasingly expected to contribute to poverty alleviation and improvement of both food security and environmental sustainability. This book presents the views of leading experts on where we stand and where we are heading in the field of markets, marketing and developing countries. Twenty essays in this book describe the role of marketing in achieving development goals, the track record of past market policies, the current functioning of value chains, the roles that market institutions play to facilitate market access for smallholders, as well as the potential to add value to farm produce through certification schemes, new technologies or innovation systems. The book is published in honour of the retirement of Aad van Tilburg, one of the pioneers in the field of marketing in developing countries. Early on in his career Van Tilburg recognised that improvements in the functioning of markets and marketing can be key to economic development with special reference to the livelihood of small producers and other market actors in developing countries.