The impact of public and private interventions aimed at increasing the income of smallholder in many agricultural commodities has been insufficient. Today, farmers clearly do not earn a decent standard of living. In recognition of this fact, a debate on living income has appeared on the agenda of leaders in public and private spheres. A living income is the net household income sufficient to enable all members of the household to afford a decent standard of living, including food, housing, healthcare, education, transport, communication, recreation and a buffer for emergencies and unexpected events. To support closing the gap between actual incomes and the income needed for a decent living, this paper provides guidance on which strategies can be implemented to improve smallholder farm incomes. It looks at two particular cases: the cocoa sector in Côte d’Ivoire and the natural rubber sector in the Kapuas Hulu district in Indonesia.
