The Effects of Economic Policies on African Agriculture

The Effects of Economic Policies on African Agriculture PDF

Author: William Kenneth Jaeger

Publisher:

Published: 1992

Total Pages: 94

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

This paper uses newly compiled data and a wide range of empirical analysis to assess the impact of government policies on agricultural exports and food production over the past two decades and across most sub-Saharan countries. While direct government control of marketing and prices of export crops has discouraged exports, disincentives created indirectly by overvalued currencies have been more damaging to agricultural supply in sub-Saharan Africa than in other regions. The rise of imported food to Africa has resulted mostly from factors that encourage consumers to eat imported food, and not from a failure of domestic production, as often assumed. These factors include overvalued currencies (which reduce the price of imported food), falling world food prices, high incomes during times of improved terms of trade, and increased urbanization (encouraged in part by policies of keeping farm prices low and concentrating government social spending in urban areas). Countries that have adopted and sustained policies to raise farm incentives have had better agricultural performance in the 1980's, on average, than those where policies continue to discriminate against agriculture.

West African Agriculture and Climate Change

West African Agriculture and Climate Change PDF

Author: Abdulai Jalloh

Publisher: Intl Food Policy Res Inst

Published: 2013-01-01

Total Pages: 444

ISBN-13: 0896292045

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

The first of three books in IFPRI's climate change in Africa series, West African Agriculture and Climate Change: A Comprehensive Analysis examines the food security threats facing 11 of the countries that make up West Africa -- Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo -- and explores how climate change will increase the efforts needed to achieve sustainable food security throughout the region. West Africa's population is expected to grow at least through mid-century. The region will also see income growth. Both will put increased pressure on the natural resources needed to produce food, and climate change makes the challenges greater. West Africa is already experiencing rising temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, and increasing extreme events. Without attention to adaptation, the poor will suffer. Through the use of hundreds of scenario maps, models, figures, and detailed analysis, the editors and contributors of West African Agriculture and Climate Change present plausible future scenarios that combine economic and biophysical characteristics to explore the possible consequences for agriculture, food security, and resources management to 2050. They also offer recommendations to national governments and regional economic agencies already dealing with the vulnerabilities of climate change and deviations in environment. Decisionmakers and researchers will find West African Agriculture and Climate Change a vital tool for shaping policy and studying the various and likely consequences of climate change.

The Role of Agriculture in Development

The Role of Agriculture in Development PDF

Author: Xinshen Diao

Publisher: Intl Food Policy Res Inst

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 74

ISBN-13: 0896291618

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Changes in the global environment have led some to question whether the conventional wisdom on the role of agriculture in economic development is still relevant to Africa today. This report critically examines the literature on this issue, taking both the conventional and skeptical views into account. It complements this review with case studies of five African countries. The findings indicate that agricultural growth will play an essential role in promoting overall economic growth and reducing poverty in most of Africa's agrarian-based economies. This holds true even for countries that have the potential for industrial growth driven by natural resources. The results also show that only smallholder food-staple and livestock production can generate broadbased agricultural growth. By demonstrating that Africa's agricultural and food subsector cannot be bypassed, this report contributes to an important ongoing debate in development studies.

Structural Adjustment & the African Farmer

Structural Adjustment & the African Farmer PDF

Author: Alex Duncan

Publisher: Heinemann Educational Books

Published: 1992

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

This book traces the impact of structural adjustment policies upon the incomes and welfare of Africa's peasant farmers who currently operate at very low levels of productivity of both land and labour and are confronted with low household income and inadequate food security. A common method has been applied across five countries. Analyses have been made of the links between national economic policies and the various markets in which the smallholders operate, and the services and infrastructures which influence their productive capacities. There are differences in the resource base and the level of ecological deterioration, in export opportunities, in physical infrastructure and, in particular, in the depth and nature of economic policy reforms. The team have recognised the important differences between these five countries and overcome the formidable problems of collecting agricultural data in Africa. The book provides firm evidence of the impact, both positive and negative, of structural adjustment. The editors argue for a more targeted, project-specific approach to small farmer development. This complements the current, donor interest in policy related aid support.

The Impact of Policy in African Agriculture

The Impact of Policy in African Agriculture PDF

Author: William Kenneth Jaeger

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 1991

Total Pages: 80

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Policy in Sub-Saharan African countries is linked with the region's agricultural performance. Exchange rate policies, high taxes on agriculture, and government control of export marketing are associated with the deterioration in agricultural export performance in 1970-87. And the policy reforms of the late 1980s - where sustained and effective - are linked with increased agricultural productivity.

Development Policies and Policy Processes in Africa

Development Policies and Policy Processes in Africa PDF

Author: Christian Henning

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2017-10-05

Total Pages: 351

ISBN-13: 3319607146

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license. The book examines the methodological challenges in analyzing the effectiveness of development policies. It presents a selection of tools and methodologies that can help tackle the complexities of which policies work best and why, and how they can be implemented effectively given the political and economic framework conditions of a country. The contributions in this book offer a continuation of the ongoing evidence-based debate on the role of agriculture and participatory policy processes in reducing poverty. They develop and apply quantitative political economy approaches by integrating quantitative models of political decision-making into existing economic modeling tools, allowing a more comprehensive growth-poverty analysis. The book addresses not only scholars who use quantitative policy modeling and evaluation techniques in their empirical or theoretical research, but also technical experts, including policy makers and analysts from stakeholder organizations, involved in formulating and implementing policies to reduce poverty and to increase economic and social well-being in African countries.

Lanterna Rally - Theme by Grace Themes