Agriculture

In Africa, agriculture accounts for two thirds of livelihoods and food accounts for two thirds of the household budgets of poor people. It makes up a very important part of the lives of African people, but in spite of it, it apparently receives very little attention from the governments.

The low productivity levels of agriculture in Africa have resulted in a worrisome scenario: it does not meet the growing demand for food from urban centres. The region is increasingly dependent on food imports. For a continent with such a vast area, a booming young population and tropical climate, it is surprising that Africa is not a net exporter of agricultural products. In the 1970s, Africa provided 8% of the world’s total agricultural exports. Today this number has dropped to a negligible 2%.

Farm Africa helps farmers improve production and make the most of their land. We help rural communities make a decent living from farming, while protecting the environment for years to come.

The “Agriculture in Africa– Telling Facts from Myths” project was initiated by the Chief Economist’s Office of the World Bank Africa Region in partnership with the African Development Bank, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, Cornell University, the Food and Agriculture Organization, London School of Economics, Maastricht School of Management, University of Pretoria, University of Rome Tor Vergata, University of Trento, and Yale University. It uses the Living Standards Measurement Study – Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) to update our current understanding of farming in Africa. Rapid economic growth and urbanization, higher food prices, demographic and climatic changes are fundamentally changing the environment in which Africa’s agriculture operates. This tests the validity of much of the common wisdom that is used to describe it.