Principal Challenges Confronting Smallholder Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa

Thomas Jayne, David Mather and Elliot Mghenyi

World Development, 2010, vol. 38, issue 10, 1384-1398

Abstract: Summary This paper uses small-scale farm survey data from five countries of eastern and southern Africa to highlight four under-appreciated issues: (i) how land distribution patterns constrain the potential of crop technology and input intensification to enable many small farms to escape from poverty; (ii) why most smallholders are unable to produce more than a marginal surplus or participate meaningfully in commodity markets; (iii) why most farmers are directly hurt by higher grain prices; and (iv) why the marketed agricultural surplus is exceedingly concentrated among a small group of relatively large smallholders. Policy and public investment options are reviewed in the light of these findings. There is no one future for small farms in Africa: much depends on government policy and investment decisions.

Keywords: small; farms; eastern; and; southern; Africa; land; policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (117)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:38:y:2010:i:10:p:1384-1398

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