HIV/AIDS has multiple impacts on agriculture and the livelihoods of rural households which are only slowly being understood. This will gradually help in identifying the kinds of agricultural policy instrument that could offer appropriate support to HIV/ AIDS-affected households. At the same time, responses are also urgently required to ensure that hard-won gains in poverty reduction are not eroded by the pandemic’s effect on agricultural growth. This paper explores the challenges posed for agriculture by the pandemic and considers a range of policy options.