Latest articles
The Narratives of Capitalist Land Accumulation and Recognition in Coastal Cameroon
September 11, 2013 / LDPI Working Papers LDPI Working Paper 29by Phil René Oyono
Evaluating Consultation in Large-scale Land Acquisitions – Spotlight on Three Cases in Mali
September 11, 2013 / LDPI Working Papers LDPI Working Paper 28by Kerstin Nolte and Lieske Voget-Kleschin
Arab-Australian Land Deals: Between Food Security, Commercial Business, and Public Discourse
September 11, 2013 / LDPI Working Papers LDPI Working Paper 27by Sarah Ruth Sippel
Brazil and Africa: a special relationship?
September 9, 2013 / China and Brazil in African Agriculture Why is Brazil investing in African agriculture? In a new article for the Institute of Development Studies website, Lídia Cabral looks at the different motivations that exist at international level, and in the ‘encounters’ between businesses and development partners. Our
Young People, Agriculture, and Transformation in Rural Africa: An “Opportunity Space” Approach
September 9, 2013 / Journal articles by James Sumberg and Christine Okali Innovations Journal, Special Edition on Youth Economic Opportunities September 2013 In this essay we argue that entrepreneurship-based policy and programmes to address the jobs challenge facing young people in rural Africa need to be
Finding the ‘opportunity space’ for young people and rural jobs
September 9, 2013 / Young People & Agrifood Over the last decade, both agriculture and young people have become increasingly prominent on African development agendas. Many have concluded that engagement in production agriculture is an obvious (if not the obvious) opportunity through which to address the problem of
Africa needs to feed herself first, then the world
September 6, 2013 / FAC blog The symposium consisted of five topics – Ideology, Technology, the African Farmer, Gender and Youth – with a speaker and respondents for each theme. From the outset, it became apparent that speakers, respondents and the audience were agreed on the
Opening ‘policy space’ for pastoralism in Kenya
September 6, 2013 / Pastoralism Pastoralism in Kenya has been neglected and understood. A new government Ministry was formed in 2008 aimed to create policy and institutional change. A new Working Paper by Izzy Birch and Mohamed Elmi tells the story of the Ministry. It
Has a ‘policy space’ for pastoralism been opened up in Kenya?
September 5, 2013 / FAC blog You can watch the authors explaining the story in this seminar at the Institute of Development Studies in May 2013: Formed in April 2008, the Ministry picked up on a growing recognition that the region’s economic potential had been overlooked.
4 September: China and Brazil in African agriculture: news roundup
September 4, 2013 / FAC blog 111 Ghanaian students awarded scholarships to China 111 Ghanaian students have been awarded scholarships to study in China this year; twice as many as last year. According to the embassy, 549 Ghanaian students have been awarded with Chinese government scholarships
The Pan African Land Hearings could be a model for future dialogue
September 2, 2013 / FAC blog The location of the hearings in Southern Africa was sobering, said Oxfam’s Marc Wegerif, as 2013 marks the Centenary of the 1913 Land Act. The outcomes of that process are still to be addressed: inequitable land distribution where the communities are
1 September: China and Brazil in African agriculture: news roundup
September 1, 2013 / FAC blog China-Australia scientific research project on African sorghum A joint Australian and Chinese research project on African sorghum has found it to have a large amount of genetic variation that could support future work on developing drought adaption mechanisms. This research
Trois raisons de repenser la jeunesse, l’agriculture et le développement au Sénégal
August 28, 2013 / FAC blog A la fin de la première semaine du mois d’août, le PNUD décidait d’allouer 15 milliards de francs CFA au Sénégal dans le cadre de trois programmes : santé maternelle et infantile, violences basées sur le genre et emploi des jeunes
Three reasons why Senegal needs to rethink youth, farming and development
August 28, 2013 / FAC blog At the end of the first week of August, the UNDP decided to allocate CFA 15 billion francs to Senegal under three programmes: maternal and child health, gender-based violenceand youth employment integrating the migration variable. On Saturday August 12, the
How have fertiliser subsidies changed Malawi?
August 28, 2013 / Growth and Social Protection Four new Future Agricultures working papers and five accompanying policy briefs look in detail at the impacts of the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP) in Malawi, which aims to support farmers and boost the economy by subsidising seeds and fertilizers.
Arguing about agronomy
August 27, 2013 / Science, Technology and Innovation A new article in Outlook on Agriculture looks at how agronomy has been affected by social change since the 1970s. The science of agronomy informs crucial decisions on development. It is often seen as a practical, problem-solving field, but like other
Our IDS Bulletin on China & Brazil in African agriculture quoted in The Guardian
August 27, 2013 / FAC blog The Guardian quotes our recent IDS Bulletin in an article on China and Brazil in African agriculture, alongside remarks made by FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva. In an article published 27 August 2013, Mark Tran writes: “China and Brazil
The Struggle over the Commons: Annual Savanna Fires and Transnational Mango Outgrower Schemes
August 20, 2013 / Policy Briefs Full title:The Struggle over the Commons: Annual Savanna Fires and Transnational Mango Outgrower Schemes in Northern Ghana FAC Policy Brief 62 by Joseph A. Yaro and Dzodzi Tsikata July 2013 Northern Ghana is characterised by rain fed agriculture, poor infrastructure,
Targeting in the Farm Input Subsidy Programme in Malawi, 2006/07 – 2011/12
August 20, 2013 / Policy Briefs FAC Policy Brief 61 by Andrew Dorward and Ephraim Chirwa July 2013 Targeting, the process of directing subsidised inputs to particular areas and to households within those areas, plays a critical role in Malawi’s Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP). It
Factors Influencing Access to Agricultural Input Subsidy Coupons in Malawi
August 20, 2013 / Policy Briefs FAC Policy Brief 60 by Ephraim W. Chirwa, Mirriam Matita and Andrew Dorward July 2013 One direct way in which agricultural input subsidies can provide social protection to the poor is by targeting the poor with very high subsidies to
Thinking about ‘Graduation’ from the Farm Input Subsidy Programme in Malawi
August 20, 2013 / Policy Briefs FAC Policy Brief 59 by Ephraim W. Chirwa, Andrew R. Dorward and Mirriam Matita July 2013 Considering the high incidence of poverty and food insecurity among Malawi’s rural population, agricultural input subsidies can be seen in part as a social
Private Sector Participation in the Farm Input Subsidy Programme in Malawi
August 20, 2013 / Policy Briefs FAC Policy Brief 58 by Ephraim W. Chirwa and Andrew R. Dorward July 2013 The Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP) in Malawi has been implemented since the 2005/06 season with the objective of improving household and national food production and
Fertiliser Use on Women’s Plots: An Intra-Household View of the Malawi Farm Input Subsidy Programme
August 20, 2013 / Policy Briefs FAC Policy Brief 57 by Ephraim W. Chirwa, Peter M. Mvula, Andrew Dorward and Mirriam Matita The Government of Malawi has, since the 2005/06 agricultural season, been implementing a Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP) targeting resource-poor smallholder farmers. The input
Warming to Change? Climate Policy and Agricultural Development in Ethiopia
August 20, 2013 / Working Papers Future Agricultures Working Paper 71 Leulseged Yirgu, Alan Nicol and Shweta Srinivasan August 2013 This paper addresses how policy responses to climate change are shaping the agricultural sector in Ethiopia, and their significance for the country’s future development. The paper
Agriculture and Climate Change in Kenya: Climate Chaos, Policy Dilemmas
August 20, 2013 / Working Papers Future Agricultures Working Paper 70 Immaculate Maina, Andrew Newsham and Michael Okoti August 2013 This paper analyses emerging policy discussions on climate change and agriculture in Kenya. Kenya has been ahead of many other countries in developing a national climate
The State and Performance of African Agriculture and the Impact of Structural Changes
August 20, 2013 / Working Papers Future Agricultures Working Paper 69 Colin Poulton August 2013 Despite ongoing changes in the structure of African economies, Africa remains heavily dependent on the agricultural sector for employment, foreign exchange and as a (potential) driver of poverty reduction. However, for
20 August: China and Brazil in African Agriculture: news roundup
August 20, 2013 / FAC blog ProSavana meeting highlights policy objective differences On 8 August, civil society groups and senior politicians met to discuss the ProSavana project. The National Director of Economy in Mozambique’s Ministry of Agriculture gave a speech contradicting ProSavana’s master plan, leaked several
African women speak out on land grabs (Pan African Land Hearings day 2)
August 19, 2013 / FAC blog The event builds on the academic conferences hosted by the Land Deal Politics Initiative (LDPI): Global Land Grabbing, which took place in April 2011 at the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, UK, and Global Land Grabbing
Pan African Land Hearing declaration
August 19, 2013 / News Declaration from the Panel at the Pan African Land Hearing held in Johannesburg in August 2013.
Invest in African farmers, don’t take their land (Pan African Land Hearings day 1)
August 14, 2013 / FAC blog The majority of land in Africa is not titled, yet this does not mean it is not the property of the people who hold it. Lamine said, “We want to see consultation with communities, fairness and equity” whenever there are
Pan African Land Hearing: people speak out
August 13, 2013 / Land A special Pan African Land Hearing, held on 15 August in South Africa, gave a platform to recognise and profile the struggles of ordinary people affected by disputes over land and tenure. It was organised by Oxfam South Africa, PLAAS,
Les Transactions Foncières à Grande échelle, la Sécurité Alimentaire et les Moyens de Subsistance
August 7, 2013 / Briefings politiques / Policy briefs in French Titre complet: Les Transactions Foncières à Grande échelle, la Sécurité Alimentaire et les Moyens de Subsistance au Niveau Local Point info CAADP 10par Kate Wellard-Dyer Les acquisitions foncières étrangères à grande échelle (accaparement de terres), constituent une préoccupation majeure et
Les Jeunes et L’agroalimentaire: Aspirations, Opportunités et Défis
August 7, 2013 / Briefings politiques / Policy briefs in French CAADP Point Info 09par Kate Wellard-Dyer Les gouvernements africains, les organismes internationaux et les ONG ont besoin de politiques qui soient davantage centrées sur les jeunes et sur l’agriculture. Ce point info s’appuie sur les conclusions d’études menées par Future
Large-scale Land Deals, Food Security and Local Livelihoods
August 7, 2013 / Policy Briefs CAADP Policy Brief 10by Kate Wellard-Dyer Large-scale foreign land acquisitions – land grabs – are major and real concerns for African populations. The consequences of land deals are highly significant for local populations and the environment. Some see economic opportunities
Young People and Agri-food: Aspirations, Opportunities and Challenges
August 7, 2013 / Policy Briefs CAADP Policy Brief 09by Kate Wellard-Dyer African governments, international agencies and NGOs are calling for policies which pay more attention to young people and agriculture. This policy brief draws on research findings by Future Agricultures and asks: What are the
Creating Policy Space for Pastoralism in Kenya
August 7, 2013 / Working Papers Future Agricultures Working Paper 68 Mohamed Elmi and Izzy Birch July 2013 This paper reflects on the work of the Ministry of State for Development of Northern Kenya and other Arid Lands between its formation in April 2008 and the
Impacts of the Farm Input Subsidy Programme in Malawi: Informal Rural Economy Modelling
August 7, 2013 / Working Papers Future Agricultures Working Paper 67 Andrew Dorward and Ephraim Chirwa June 2013 This paper presents a partial equilibrium model of the impacts of the Malawi Farm Input Subsidy Programme on smallholder livelihoods in two major and contrasting livelihood zones over
Targeting in the Farm Input Subsidy Programme in Malawi: Issues and Options
August 7, 2013 / Working Papers Future Agricultures Working Paper 66 Andrew Dorward and Ephraim Chirwa June 2013 This paper examines targeting issues that emerge from FISP evaluations undertaken since 2006/07, and puts forward various options for improving targeting. Targeting objectives depend upon programme objectives. In
Repeated Access and Impacts of the Farm Input Subsidy Programme in Malawi
August 7, 2013 / Working Papers Full title: Repeated Access and Impacts of the Farm Input Subsidy Programme in Malawi: Any Prospects of Graduation? Future Agricultures Working Paper 65 Ephraim Chirwa, Mirriam Matita, Peter Mvula and Andrew Dorward June 2013 This paper analyses the impacts of
The Role of the Private Sector in the Farm Input Subsidy Programme in Malawi
August 7, 2013 / Working Papers Future Agricultures Working Paper 64 Ephraim Chirwa and Andrew Dorward June 2013 The involvement of the private sector in the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP) has changed over the lifetime of the programme with increasing participation in fertilizer procurement, inclusion
Can ‘value chains’ and ‘innovation platforms’ boost African agriculture? 11 reasons to be sceptical
August 7, 2013 / FAC blog What are innovation platforms? In practice, value chain approaches often include the creation of ‘multi-stakeholder platforms’ (also called Inter-Professional Bodies). The idea is that these platforms re-group the various actors in a particular value chain (i.e. everyone from producers through
6 August: China and Brazil in African agriculture – news roundup
August 6, 2013 / FAC blog Brazil & Ghana work together on cowpea yields SciDev.Net also carries an article looking at a Brazil-Ghana joint-research project focused on boosting cowpea yields.(SciDev.Net) Bamboo charcoal technology introduced to Ghana The International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) is promoting
Opening up food security policy for Africa’s women and men
August 2, 2013 / Gender & Social Difference Women are increasingly expected to be at the centre of food security for sub-Saharan Africa. But studies show that women and men engage in agriculture in flexible ways. In a blog post for the Gender and Social Difference theme, Siera
For food security to work, women and men in Africa need more open and flexible policies, not stereotypes
August 2, 2013 / FAC blog At the same time, there have been parallel – if not conflicting – calls for women to engage in ‘new’, often regional and even global markets, or at least to commercialise their farm production. But longstanding, well-documented concerns about women’s
The changing politics of agronomy research
August 1, 2013 / Journal articles Sumberg, James; Thompson, John; Woodhouse, PhilipOutlook on Agriculture (2013) Volume 42, Number 2, June 2013 , pp. 81-83(3) The context in which agronomy research takes place has changed fundamentally over the last 40 years, with important implications for the discipline. Systematic study of
1 August: China and Brazil in African agriculture – news roundup
August 1, 2013 / FAC blog Comparing Chinese aid with Western aid Li Xiaoyun has had an article published in the China Daily’s African edition looking at the differences and complementarities between Chinese and Western aid (attached). On the same page is an article by Zhang
Land deals in Mozambique
July 25, 2013 / Land A workshop on Governance of Large Scale Land Transactions in Mozambique took place on 31 July 2013. The event aimed to show preliminary findings from research in Manhica and Massingir, and to encourage dialogue among stakeholders in land transactions. The
Adapting to climate change: policy & research gaps
July 24, 2013 / Climate Change Lars Otto Naess, Climate Change convenor for Future Agricultures, presented preliminary findings from a review of research and policies for climate change adaptation in Sub-Saharan Africa on 16 July. He spoke at a side event “Consultative dialogue on climate smart
Afrocapitalism and GM: blurred philanthropy?
July 22, 2013 / Science, Technology and Innovation In an article for openDemocracy, Sally Brooks examines the promise of Afrocapitalism and new forms of philanthropy involving public private partnerships for development in Africa. Brooks compares the development of Golden Rice in the 1990s and 2000s, the more recent