The farming system in Eswatini is largely subsistence-based. Smallholder farmers that practice subsistence farming have an opportunity to generate more income by converting to high-value crops (3).

High value crops are currently largely being imported to Eswatini. Investing in high-impact and high-value value chains increase Eswatini's capacity for import substitution and inclusive economic growth (17).

Production of drought tolerant high-value crops increase the country's food security, addressing the needs of 25% of the population who are food insecure and dependent on assistance (25).

If the adoption of high-value and drought-tolerant crops is not managed carefully, especially among subsistence farmers, they may lead to crop failure which could endanger household food security levels.

Smallholder farmers may be outcompeted by large-scale commercial farmers that produce at higher and cheaper levels (16), which may lead to the reinforcement of existing inequalities.

Smallholder farmers may not have access to adequate extension services and support nor enjoy sufficient access to credit, which may limit the uptake of the high-value crops and hence hinder the expected impact (15).

If high-value crops are produced for export instead of meeting domestic market needs, Eswatini's levels of food insecurity and dependency on food imports may remain unchanged.

If the production of high-value and drought-tolerant crops is hindered by climatic factors or poor farming practices (16), profitability levels may be too low to achieve the expected impact.

If supply chains are inefficient, farmers may not be able to fully benefit from the gains of high-value crops (12), lowering the expected impact.

Enhance income generating activities for smallholder farmers and support import substitution in a sustainable manner.

Ministry Of Agriculture Strategic Plan, 2018- 2023: Outlines the intention of Ministry of Agriculture to increase area under cotton production and to support smallholder producers to meet demand of local ginneries (20).

Swaziland National Agricultural Investment Plan (SNAIP), 2015: Investments in high-value crops, including conventional vegetables, baby vegetables, fruits, cotton and yellow maize, are highlighted as a key strategy for commercializing smallholder agriculture and boosting economic growth (4).

National Development Plan (NDP), 2019/2020: Identifies high value crops comprising of horticulture, vegetables, cotton variants and new fruits as opportunities for advancing agriculture and that regulatory frameworks are being developed to support export of high value agricultural commodities (18).

Financial incentives: Government has implemented an input-subsidy programme for supporting smallholder farmers producing high-value crops (15). It has allocated E 42.2 million (USD 2.8 million) to cater for the subsidy programme with the goal of increasing number of beneficiaries to 15,000 (29).

Fiscal incentives: Government provides special deductions not to exceed 5% of taxpayer's taxable income and deductions of the expenditures, not exceeding 30% of the gross income derived from farming operating relating to erection of buildings used in farming operations not to exceed E 60,000 (USD 4,000) (21).

Fiscal incentives: Agribusiness is among the sectors applicable for the Developmental Approval Order (DAO), a corporate tax incentive for companies contributing to the country's development including a 10% corporate tax rate for 10 years and an exemption from withholding taxes on dividends, including for relevant crops (22).

Commercialization of Agriculture Land Bill, 2019: Aims to increase the number of farmers with formal ownership and titles of the land for advancing commercial agriculture (15).

Biosafety Act, 2012: Regulates all genetically modified organisms (GMOs); it allowed for the first release of Bt cotton in 2018 (27).

Cotton regulation, 1967: Entails the constitution and functions of the National Cotton Board and its regulatory powers (28).

Pesticides Management Act, 2017: Seeks to regulate the importation, manufacture, exportation, distribution, sale and use of pesticides in order to enable people to obtain the benefits with minimal adverse effects on human, animals and the environment (5).

Artemis foods, Crookes Brothers, Kindbridge Mdzimba avocados & Vegetables, Nisela Farms, Vunisa Cotton, Ukwazi Macadamia, United Plantations, ENAU, United Plantations.

Ministry of Agriculture, National Agricultural Marketing Board (NAMBoard), Eswatini Water and Agricultural Development Enterprise (ESWADE), National Cotton Board

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), European Union (EU).

Taiwan Technical Mission, German Society for International Co-operation (GIZ), Eswatini National Agricultural Union, Small-Scale Farmers Associations, World Vision International, Cooperazione Per Lo Sviluppo Dei Paesi Emergenti (COSPE).