The return of high food prices and the need to adapt to climate change have revived interest in agricultural technologies adapted to smallholders, in particular women. Sustainable intensification of smallholder production will require a shift to knowledge-intensive agriculture that combines local knowledge and the latest sustainability science to adapt practices to local ecosystems and increase resilience to climate change, price and other shocks. A radical change in the focus of national agricultural plans and substantial investment are needed to unleash smallholder production potential, contributing to achieving MDGs and boosting food production to meet the 70% increase needed by 2050.