Jean-Philippe Platteau
- Published in print:
- 1991
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780198286363
- eISBN:
- 9780191718458
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198286363.003.0007
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
Policy errors have often been indicted as the major culprits for Africa's plight, while policy reversals have been identified as general tools for salvation. This chapter argues that this dominant ...
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Policy errors have often been indicted as the major culprits for Africa's plight, while policy reversals have been identified as general tools for salvation. This chapter argues that this dominant ‘price-focused’ view is erroneous and diverts attention from the critical issue for African agriculture: the generation and diffusion of technology at a substantial rate. The chapter's analysis brings forth the structural nature of growth-inhibiting factors. It investigates six ‘constraint areas’ and asserts that policy-design must not be limited to the technological sphere, but should include institutional changes and changes in cultural and political systems. Additionally, agricultural growth-promoting strategies should take into account the equity issues and distributive effects of policies. However, the exposition suggests that the policy prescription has country specificity.Less
Policy errors have often been indicted as the major culprits for Africa's plight, while policy reversals have been identified as general tools for salvation. This chapter argues that this dominant ‘price-focused’ view is erroneous and diverts attention from the critical issue for African agriculture: the generation and diffusion of technology at a substantial rate. The chapter's analysis brings forth the structural nature of growth-inhibiting factors. It investigates six ‘constraint areas’ and asserts that policy-design must not be limited to the technological sphere, but should include institutional changes and changes in cultural and political systems. Additionally, agricultural growth-promoting strategies should take into account the equity issues and distributive effects of policies. However, the exposition suggests that the policy prescription has country specificity.
Gordon Conway, Ousmane Badiane, and Katrin Glatzel
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9781501743887
- eISBN:
- 9781501744419
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9781501743887.001.0001
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Cultural Studies
Africa requires a new agricultural transformation that is appropriate for Africa, that recognizes the continent's diverse environments and climates, and that takes into account its histories and ...
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Africa requires a new agricultural transformation that is appropriate for Africa, that recognizes the continent's diverse environments and climates, and that takes into account its histories and cultures while benefiting rural smallholder farmers and their families. This book describes the key challenges faced by Africa's smallholder farmers and presents the concepts and practices of sustainable intensification as opportunities to sustainably transform Africa's agriculture sector and the livelihoods of millions of smallholders. The way forward, the book indicates, will be an agriculture sector deeply rooted within sustainable intensification: producing more with less, using fertilizers and pesticides more prudently, adapting to climate change, improving natural capital, adopting new technologies, and building resilience at every stage of the agriculture value chain. This book envisions a virtuous circle generated through agricultural development rooted in sustainable intensification that results in greater yields, healthier diets, improved livelihoods for farmers, and sustainable economic opportunities for the rural poor that in turn generate further investment. It describes the benefits of digital technologies for farmers and the challenges of transforming African agricultural policies and creating effective and inspiring leadership. The book demonstrates why we should take on the challenge and provides ideas and methods through which it can be met.Less
Africa requires a new agricultural transformation that is appropriate for Africa, that recognizes the continent's diverse environments and climates, and that takes into account its histories and cultures while benefiting rural smallholder farmers and their families. This book describes the key challenges faced by Africa's smallholder farmers and presents the concepts and practices of sustainable intensification as opportunities to sustainably transform Africa's agriculture sector and the livelihoods of millions of smallholders. The way forward, the book indicates, will be an agriculture sector deeply rooted within sustainable intensification: producing more with less, using fertilizers and pesticides more prudently, adapting to climate change, improving natural capital, adopting new technologies, and building resilience at every stage of the agriculture value chain. This book envisions a virtuous circle generated through agricultural development rooted in sustainable intensification that results in greater yields, healthier diets, improved livelihoods for farmers, and sustainable economic opportunities for the rural poor that in turn generate further investment. It describes the benefits of digital technologies for farmers and the challenges of transforming African agricultural policies and creating effective and inspiring leadership. The book demonstrates why we should take on the challenge and provides ideas and methods through which it can be met.
Gordon Conway, Ousmane Badiane, and Katrin Glatzel
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9781501743887
- eISBN:
- 9781501744419
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9781501743887.003.0001
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Cultural Studies
This introductory chapter presents an optimistic outlook into the state of African agriculture. It highlights the achievements made by African farmers—many of whom are smallholders—emphasizing how ...
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This introductory chapter presents an optimistic outlook into the state of African agriculture. It highlights the achievements made by African farmers—many of whom are smallholders—emphasizing how they can feed themselves and their families, and that they can generate enough income from their crops and livestock to send their children to school and to purchase medicines when they get sick, as well as have funds to invest in improving their farms. The issue then, as the chapter notes, is to bring these achievements to scale. The chapter anticipates that Africa's demand for food is projected to more than double by mid-century, owing partly to demands for more food staples, more varied and nutritious foods, and more processed food and partly to improved intraregional trade. This is generating a pull factor that reaches down the value chain to smallholder farmers. As such, the chapter explains that Africa requires a new agricultural transformation that is appropriate to Africa and that recognizes the continent's great diversity of environments and climates and its histories and cultures.Less
This introductory chapter presents an optimistic outlook into the state of African agriculture. It highlights the achievements made by African farmers—many of whom are smallholders—emphasizing how they can feed themselves and their families, and that they can generate enough income from their crops and livestock to send their children to school and to purchase medicines when they get sick, as well as have funds to invest in improving their farms. The issue then, as the chapter notes, is to bring these achievements to scale. The chapter anticipates that Africa's demand for food is projected to more than double by mid-century, owing partly to demands for more food staples, more varied and nutritious foods, and more processed food and partly to improved intraregional trade. This is generating a pull factor that reaches down the value chain to smallholder farmers. As such, the chapter explains that Africa requires a new agricultural transformation that is appropriate to Africa and that recognizes the continent's great diversity of environments and climates and its histories and cultures.
Calestous Juma
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- August 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780190237233
- eISBN:
- 9780190237264
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190237233.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Economy, International Relations and Politics
African agriculture is currently at a crossroads, at which persistent food shortages are compounded by threats from climate change. But, as this book argues, Africa can feed itself in a generation ...
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African agriculture is currently at a crossroads, at which persistent food shortages are compounded by threats from climate change. But, as this book argues, Africa can feed itself in a generation and can help contribute to global food security. To achieve this Africa has to define agriculture as a force in economic growth by advancing scientific and technological research, investing in infrastructure, fostering higher technical training, and creating regional markets. To govern the transformation Africa must foster the emergence of a new crop of entrepreneurial leaders dedicated to the continent’s economic improvement. Filled with case studies from within Africa and success stories from developing nations around the world, this book outlines the policies and institutional changes necessary to promote agricultural innovation across the African continent. Incorporating research from academia, government, civil society, and private industry, the book suggests multiple ways that individual African countries can work together at the regional level to develop local knowledge and resources, harness technological innovation, encourage entrepreneurship, increase agricultural output, create markets, and improve overall economic performance. The book provides ideas on how to implement a series of high-level decisions adopted by African leaders to place agriculture at the center of the continent’s long-term economic transformation. It puts agriculture in the context of the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy (STISA-24) adopted by African presidents in 2014. More important, the book provides a policy framework that could be adopted for other sectors such as health, industry, and green innovation.Less
African agriculture is currently at a crossroads, at which persistent food shortages are compounded by threats from climate change. But, as this book argues, Africa can feed itself in a generation and can help contribute to global food security. To achieve this Africa has to define agriculture as a force in economic growth by advancing scientific and technological research, investing in infrastructure, fostering higher technical training, and creating regional markets. To govern the transformation Africa must foster the emergence of a new crop of entrepreneurial leaders dedicated to the continent’s economic improvement. Filled with case studies from within Africa and success stories from developing nations around the world, this book outlines the policies and institutional changes necessary to promote agricultural innovation across the African continent. Incorporating research from academia, government, civil society, and private industry, the book suggests multiple ways that individual African countries can work together at the regional level to develop local knowledge and resources, harness technological innovation, encourage entrepreneurship, increase agricultural output, create markets, and improve overall economic performance. The book provides ideas on how to implement a series of high-level decisions adopted by African leaders to place agriculture at the center of the continent’s long-term economic transformation. It puts agriculture in the context of the Science, Technology and Innovation Strategy (STISA-24) adopted by African presidents in 2014. More important, the book provides a policy framework that could be adopted for other sectors such as health, industry, and green innovation.
Margaret Hanzimanolis
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780986497315
- eISBN:
- 9781786944535
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5949/liverpool/9780986497315.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, Maritime History
This essay examines South African shipwrecks and shipwreck survivor accounts in relation to land settlements and indigenous food production systems in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. By ...
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This essay examines South African shipwrecks and shipwreck survivor accounts in relation to land settlements and indigenous food production systems in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. By analysing a collection of Portuguese shipwreck accounts it discovers that African land, often portrayed by colonising forces as Terra Nullius - empty land - in their efforts to rationalise usurping it, was actually populated by settled pastoral communities. Further analysis of the shipwreck accounts reveal the presence of racial typography and the attitudes toward indigenous southern Africans, which would become another rationalisation for usurping land in later colonisation efforts. It concludes that these accounts offer evidence disproving Terra Nullius assertions, whilst also providing an example of how the colonial mindset interpreted the ownership of land.Less
This essay examines South African shipwrecks and shipwreck survivor accounts in relation to land settlements and indigenous food production systems in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. By analysing a collection of Portuguese shipwreck accounts it discovers that African land, often portrayed by colonising forces as Terra Nullius - empty land - in their efforts to rationalise usurping it, was actually populated by settled pastoral communities. Further analysis of the shipwreck accounts reveal the presence of racial typography and the attitudes toward indigenous southern Africans, which would become another rationalisation for usurping land in later colonisation efforts. It concludes that these accounts offer evidence disproving Terra Nullius assertions, whilst also providing an example of how the colonial mindset interpreted the ownership of land.
