Agriculture provides products that are traded at various levels of society with an exchange of money or, in rare cases nowadays, through barter trade. Such generated incomes translate into other sectors and impact on family livelihoods at one end, while on the other end governments are able to earn revenue and even foreign exchange where exports are involved. Central to all these economic activities are the individuals who are directly involved in the production. These are the farmers and this lesson will look at their role in the agricultural sector as well as what the agricultural industry means to the overall economy of the country.

The case study video of a farmer in Mwingi, called Simon, illustrates various agro-ecological issues.