The global economy is changing in such a way as to increase the influence of non-local markets – but also to challenge the viability and profitability of existing relations with them among the rural poor. The rural poor need assistance to successfully meet these challenges. In order for that to happen poor rural producers, governments and donors will need to appreciate and develop answers to some fundamental questions, including: how to reduce small farmers’ dependence on traditional exports to developed country markets; how to diversify into higher-value products; how to enter the value-added chain – everything from improving processing and quality control to addressing tariff escalation issues; how to forge mutually beneficial relations with the larger-scale private sector; and, how much to focus on developed country markets – as opposed, for example, to focusing on regional, national and local markets in the developing countries themselves.