In this dissertation I examine the influence of market access on a variety of small farm management decisions and welfare outcomes in two very different settings. In Kenya, a relatively high-density country with relatively good overall levels of access, I focus on the relationship between rural infrastructure provision and participation in agricultural markets. In Zambia, a low-density country in which the majority of farms operate under conditions of economic remoteness, I explore the relationship between access to markets, population density and the role these factors play in conditioning the farm strategies pursued by small farmers in different areas. In particular, I explore how accessibility may enable or constraint area-expansion strategies in land abundant environments. In both studies, I find that economic remoteness is a critical constraint to smallholder development (where the development pathway of interest is market participation in Kenya, and extensive versus intensive production strategies in Zambia). This work is of relevance to researchers and policymakers interested in how policies and investment strategies may best target accessibility deficiencies in rural areas in order to stimulate smallholder economic growth.
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