Building on the momentum generated by the attention devoted to smallholders in 2014, the forthcoming UNCTAD Commodities and Development Report 2015 carries the issue forward and argues that smallholders are key actors in the quest for a more inclusive and socially and environmentally sustainable agricultural development model. The report states that by their sheer number, smallholders should warrant specific attention in the aspiration to “leave no one behind” in the efforts to be deployed in the achievement of the forthcoming sustainable development goals (SDGs). This note highlights the report’s findings and key messages. It underscores the major constraints facing smallholders and provides policy recommendations to help unlock their potential contribution to sustainable commodities production and trade. In addition to the tested solutions and good practices identified in many countries, the Commodities and Development Report 2015 offers a policy framework that combines measures at the national, regional and international levels and an accompanying plan of action for smallholders that builds on UNCTAD’s integrated approach to trade, finance, investment and technology. The report underlines the need for policy clarity and strong leadership at the highest levels − domestic, regional and international – as well as the primacy that should be given to policy alignment across these three levels. Because business as usual is not an option in achieving the forthcoming SDGs, the report argues that a mechanism for greater accountability based on the monitoring of progress on key commitments related to smallholders is urgently needed.