**5.1 Transformational realms**

These realms are based on the roles and responsibilities of three interacting driving sectors: policy, markets, and farmers. It assumes that policies drive public works and rural development programs, markets determine the scope and appeal of commercial products and related investments, and farmers undertake individual and local collective actions. When these roles are depicted along three triangular coordinates, a conceptual model emerges that contains different transformational realms, many of them widely recognized. Grassroots actions occur where farmers dominate adoption processes (**Figure 1**), commerce is conducted where businesses buy and sell agricultural technologies, and government-led parastatal operations exist where government controls agricultural opportunities and trade. Other familiar blended realms exist including agricultural extension, public-private partnerships, and farmer-commercial alliances (e.g. out-grower networks). At the center of these activities, we identify complex alliances, where all three drivers meet on equal terms to pioneer progressive change. Each of these seven realms is briefly described.

#### *5.1.1 Grassroots actions*

Grassroots actions (*upper center*) are localized in scope and conducted by farmers and their communities as opposed to being guided by those in more centralized

**Figure 1.** *Rural development realms resulting from policy-, market-, and farmer-driven interests.*

positions of power. Farmers belonging to grassroots organizations rely on individual and collective action to effect desired local change and often receive guidance from local agrodealers and extensionists.
