Contract farming (CF) is potentially beneficial to small farmers, providing services not readily available by other means. In reality, growers frequently face serious problems in dealing with firms, indicating the need for intervention by government or by farmers’ organizations. However, the hybrid structure and multiple objectives of Contract farming schemes make it difficult to organize farmers or to design effective policy interventions. This article describes some of the most frequent problems, points out trade-offs among competing welfare goals and cautions against the use of Contract farming as a simple model for agricultural development.