Abstract:

Agrifood systems are increasingly shaped by activities beyond the farm gate, yet the midstream and downstream segments-known as the hidden middle-remain severely under-researched. This paper presents a review of 276 impact evaluations and systematic reviews to assess what is currently known about effective policies and programs targeting the hidden middle in low- and middle-income countries. While 52% of the studies focus on smallholder-oriented interventions and 21% on public goods, only 27% address the hidden middle, and nearly half of these concern contract farming-a mechanism designed to bypass intermediaries rather than strengthen them. Most intervention categories in the midstream and downstream are supported by fewer than four rigorous studies. Moreover, services like storage, training, and market information are evaluated almost exclusively in the context of producers, ignoring the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that dominate the hidden middle. The paper concludes that addressing this evidence gap is essential to designing inclusive, resilient agrifood systems and calls for a shift in research and policy focus toward the actors and services that connect farms to markets and consumers.