What is needed to advance African Agriculture? Steve Wiggins Overseas Development Institute

Main messages African agriculture can advance reasons to be optimistic Tailor solutions to different: problems, regions, & social groups

African agriculture can advance

reasons to be optimistic

Tailor solutions to different:

problems,

regions, &

social groups

Is African agriculture in crisis?

No single way forward: Problems Market failures Government & policy failure Appropriate technology lacking Too little effective demand for output Different circumstances, different limitations

Market failures

Government & policy failure

Appropriate technology lacking

Too little effective demand for output

Different circumstances, different limitations

No single way forward: territories Intensification à base de travail et/ou capital en fonction de la structuration préalable du milieu (Kano vs Koutiala) Culture d'autosubsistance intensive en travail faiblement rémunératrice forte émigration Forte Grandes exploitations mécanisées intensives en capital (fronts pionniers cotonnier, deuxième couronne péri-urbaine) Culture extensive d'auto-subsistance ou émigration. Importance de 1'élévage Faible Pression sur les ressources Fort Faible (ou trop risqué) Accès au marché Snrech 1995

No single way forward: Social Groups …. Land holding amongst small farmers (Jayne et al. 2005)

No single way forward: Social Groups Three Options (Dorward et al. at Wye/SOAS) Technology: food staples Social Protection Early start for next generation Hang In  protect & survive Education & Skills Migration: info, rights, remittances Step Out  into non-farm economy Transport, Inputs, Credit Technology Farmer organisation Step Up  intensifying farming

Summing up Success possible But need detailed thinking about: Particular problems faced, Nature of different districts, & Differences between households

Success possible

But need detailed thinking about:

Particular problems faced,

Nature of different districts, &

Differences between households