Way forward for agricultural development in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

This review article argues that rural sub-Saharan Africa has suffered from a wide range of disadvantages that have stunted its agricultural development. Agricultural areas have been characterised by policy voids and neglect, and have failed to achieve sustained development. A lack of incentives, rural investments, and institutional support has hobbled African farmers. Any way forward for the agricultural areas will rest on decisively tackling rural poverty. Many analysts have remarked on the debilitating effects of traditional tenure whereby most Africans do not hold secure title to the land they farm. Land tenure reform must be coupled with the pursuit of the best that modern technology and research has to offer. African farmers are also seriously disadvantaged by the subsidies that developed nations pay their farmers. A renewed commitment to a more open trading regime between Africa and its main trading partners is a sine qua non for Africa to prosper. In essence, for Africa fully to realise its agricultural potential it needs urgently to transcend the methods and cultural institutions of its past even though this may entail something of a shock to the system and alienate certain vested interests. But this cannot happen without political stability and good governance.