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.
The following commonly accepted wisdoms are challenged :
* Work in progress
Related Findings by African Project Scholars
About the Data:
“Agriculture in Africa – Telling Facts from Myths” uses data collected under the Living Standards Measurement Study-Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) initiative. The initiative is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other donor agencies. It is implemented by the research department of the World Bank (DECRG) and national statistical agencies.
1 |
Use of modern inputs remains dismally low | 2 |
Land, labor and capital markets remain largely incomplete |
3 |
Land is abundant and land markets are poorly developed | 4 |
Access to credit is limited |
5 |
Labor productivity in agriculture is low | 6 |
Women perform the bulk of Africa’s agricultural tasks |
7 |
Agroforestry is gaining traction | 8 |
African agriculture is intensifying |
9 |
Seasonality continues to permeate rural livelihoods | 10 |
The majority of rural households are net food buyers |
11 |
Post harvest losses are large | 12 |
Droughts dominate Africa’s risk environment |
13 |
African farmers are increasingly diversifying their incomes | 14 |
The young are leaving agriculture |
15 |
Household enterprises operate mainly in survival mode | 16 |
Agricultural commercialization improves nutritional outcomes |
1 |
Use of modern inputs remains dismally low | 2 |
Land, labor and capital markets remain largely incomplete |
3 |
Land is abundant and land markets are poorly developed | 4 |
Access to credit is limited |
5 |
Labor productivity in agriculture is low | 6 |
Women perform the bulk of Africa’s agricultural tasks |
7 |
Agroforestry is gaining traction | 8 |
African agriculture is intensifying |
9 |
Seasonality continues to permeate rural livelihoods | 10 |
The majority of rural households are net food buyers |
11 |
Post harvest losses are large | 12 |
Droughts dominate Africa’s risk environment |
13 |
African farmers are increasingly diversifying their incomes | 14 |
The young are leaving agriculture |
15 |
Household enterprises operate mainly in survival mode | 16 |
Agricultural commercialization improves nutritional outcomes |
The Project “Agriculture in Africa: Telling facts from Myths” explores some facts about Agriculture in Africa that many experts and policy makers consider self-evident truths. But the rural landscape of the continent has evolved, as has the African farmer. In the current context, are these conventions about Africa’s agriculture still valid?
The “Agriculture in Africa – Telling Facts from Myths” project has been initiated by the World Bank’s Office of the Chief Economist for the Africa Region. It is implemented in partnership with the African Development Bank, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, Cornell University, Food and Agriculture Organization, the London School of Economics, Maastricht School of Management, University of Pretoria, University of Rome, Tor Vergata, University of Trento, and Yale University.
Team of Researchers
Chris Barrett, Hans Binswanger, Gero Carletto, Luc Christiaensen (task team leader), Ben Davis, Klaus Deininger, Brian Dillon, Camila Galindo Pardo, Chris Gilbert, Daniel Zerfu Gurara, Jonathan Kaminski, Talip Kilic, Ellen McCullough, Siobhan Murray, Paula Nagler, Wim Naude, Amparo Palacios-Lopez, Sara Savastano, Megan Sheahan, Abebe Shimeles, Christopher Udry, Alberto Zezza.
Scholars in the Project’s Mentorship Program
To strengthen build capacity among young African researchers and make maximum use of the data, a mentorship program was initiated. Following an Africa wide call for proposals, 10 young African scholars were selected and paired up with senior team members to work on topics related to the wisdoms revisited under the project.
