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The Role of Agriculture in African Development

Chatham House, with support from SABMiller, is to undertake a series of workshop and discussion papers to stimulate debate and new ideas on how best to support a green revolution in Africa.

In Africa, in contrast to Asia, agricultural output per person has fallen: in 2005-7, it was 15% below 1960-62 levels. Yet most experts agree the lessons of Asia's 20th century 'green revolution' are applicable to much of Africa. There is also increasing agreement that development should, as in Asia, take the form of labour-intensive production on small-medium farms so as to generate the jobs needed to reduce mass poverty, while providing the food and savings that are the basis for industrialisation.

But neither African governments nor donors have acted on their declarations of support for small-farm development. Throughout Africa, agriculture's share of public spending and of aid is much smaller than in other developing countries - and has fallen since 1980. The two-thirds of Africans whose livelihoods depend mainly on agriculture receive barely 5-10% of public resources. This has meant inadequate, often worsening, rural roads and a lack of research, local seed improvements and irrigation: only 4% of African cropland is irrigated, compared with 35% in Asia. African farmers use less than 10% of the fertilisers used by Asian farmers.

The Africa Commission accorded barely a couple of pages to agriculture, on which it made no firm recommendations. Thus far, the G8 has failed to meet the Gleneagles aid commitments. The commitments must be implemented in a way that supports productive development. This requires, amongst other things, addressing the issue of smallholders. While it is common to affirm the importance of nurturing smallholder farming, both African governments and donors have deep, unspoken doubts regarding the contribution of smallholder farming in Africa.

There are some signs of change. Some major donors have pledged (though not yet dispersed) more aid. Rising food prices will help to focus minds on this issue, as will the African Union's launch of a Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme and Kofi Annan's Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), with funding from the Gates foundation.

Over the next year, the Africa Programme at Chatham House will hold a series of meetings and roundtables to discuss both the political and economic constraints on African agriculture and the scientific and ecological pre-conditions for transforming it. Amongst other things covered will be the issue of rising food prices, and the use of genetically modified seeds and inorganic fertilizers that some oppose but others argue are essential to redress land degradation, including loss of essential soil nutrients, in much of Africa.

Support this Project

This project is seeking approaches from experts who wish to participate in the series, and for sources of funding to further promote sound policy making in this area. If you would like to receive more information or details of ways to become involved you can contact:

Tom Cargill, Africa Programme
Tel: +44 (0)20 7957 5718