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The future of cocoa production in south western Nigeria: Stakeholder insights
November 4, 2019 / APRA blog FAC blog Background Agricultural enterprise in Nigeria’s economy has played a key participatory role by addressing the issues of poverty, food insecurity, unemployment and foreign revenue acquisition. Cocoa has been integral to championing the agricultural economy as it remains the top most
Off-farm work and diversified livelihoods in Zimbabwe’s communal areas
November 3, 2019 / FAC blog With low agricultural output, off-farm work is an essential complement to agricultural production in Zimbabwe’s communal areas. Working away has always been part and parcel of communal area livelihoods; indeed these were established as ‘labour reserves’ in the colonial era.
Time to reimagine the agrarian system
November 3, 2019 / FAC blog “We are wasting our time talking about living wages and inspectors and new technologies. We need to talk about the fact that our government has sold the livelihoods of ordinary people to big corporates.” These were the words of Constance
Livestock production: the limits of extensive systems in Zimbabwe
October 30, 2019 / FAC blog As the previous blog described, the communal area sites we have been studying in Masvingo rarely produced sufficient crops to cover even subsistence needs, and then if so only very occasionally, as with the Mwenezi experience in 2016-17. So what about livestock
DFID funds programme on Children’s Harmful Work in African Agriculture
October 24, 2019 / News The majority of children’s work in Africa is within the agricultural sector. However, there is insufficient evidence on the prevalence of harmful children’s work across different agricultural value chains, farming systems and agro-ecologies. Furthermore, little is understood about the effects
Agriculture in Masvingo’s communal areas: limited prospects
October 24, 2019 / FAC blog We investigated agricultural production across our communal area sites throughout Masvingo province during the 2016 and 2017 harvest seasons. These were relatively good rainfall years, with 690 mm recorded in Masvingo town in 2016-17, for instance. Compared to the past
APRA presents at AAAE conference
October 14, 2019 / APRA blog “Rising to meet new challenges: Africa’s agricultural development beyond 2020 Vision” was the theme for the 6th African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE) triennial conference, which took place on the 23-26th September 2019 at the Sheraton Hotel in Abuja, Nigeria. Professor G. B. Ayoola,
The farm workers who produce our food are the most vulnerable to hunger
October 14, 2019 / FAC blog For information on the National Conference on the Future of Farm Workers, including live blog posts from the event, please see below this blog. It is tragic and outrageous that the people who produce the food that we eat in
Land and tenure in Zimbabwe’s communal areas: why land reform was needed
October 14, 2019 / FAC blog Access to land is central to the livelihoods of rural people, but in the communal areas this is highly constrained outside the land-extensive Lowveld site of Mwenezi. Even in dryland Chivi average holdings are only 2.1 hectares, while in Gutu
Economic chaos is causing a food security and humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe
October 14, 2019 / FAC blog Ian Scoones, University of Sussex Since Zimbabwe’s land reform of 2000 – when around 8 million hectares of formerly large-scale commercial farmland was distributed to about 175,000 households – debates about the consequences for food security have raged. A standard
Livelihoods assets: differentiated development in Zimbabwe
October 14, 2019 / FAC blog The last blog introduced this blog series on communal area development in Zimbabwe, and the comparisons with resettlement areas. This week’s blog continues the series with a look at the distribution of assets people have and their importance in building livelihoods.
It’s a miracle! The worrying rise of faith-based agronomy
October 9, 2019 / FAC blog There is a dark tension at the heart of development-oriented crop and soil science. It pits systematic research, respect for evidence, and incremental improvement, against the imperative to construct and claim success and impact ‘at scale’. This tension can be
APRA Nigeria advisory board created
October 7, 2019 / News APRA Nigeria has received a boost following the creation of a new advisory board, at Rockview Hotel, Abuja on September 27, 2019. APRA Nigeria Workstream 1 Research Team (WS1) aims to study the potential opportunities and challenges associated with medium-scale
Oil Palm Processing in Ghana: Hanging In, Stepping Up and Stepping Out
October 3, 2019 / APRA blog FAC blog Oil palm production has been a lifelong activity for many farmers in south-western Ghana. Although oil palm could be harvested throughout the year, production peaks from January to May. Like other crops of this nature, one would expect prices to
Are communal areas in Zimbabwe too poor for development?
October 3, 2019 / FAC blog Communal areas are where the majority of rural people live in Zimbabwe. With an estimated population of 1.1 million households and a land area of 16.4 million hectares, these areas far exceed those allocated land in the resettlements. This blog
APRA researcher at Agri4D
October 2, 2019 / News APRA was recently represented by Dr Fred Dzanku, research fellow at the University of Ghana’s Institute of Statistical, Social & Economic Research, as one of eight keynote speakers at the biennial Agricultural Research for Development Conference, Agri4D 2019 held on
Tribute to Ephraim Wadonda Chirwa: Concept Note and Call for Papers
September 26, 2019 / News Malawi Journal of Economics: Special Issue Please note: The deadline for submitting a concept note for this call for papers has now passed. 1. Introduction Following the shocking and untimely loss of Ephraim Wadonda Chirwa on 15 July 2019, the
The contemporary agrarian question in West Africa
September 25, 2019 / APRA blog FAC blog The agrarian question in West Africa is dominated by the integration of peasant agriculture or smallholder farming into agribusiness markets, which includes contract farming, but also other mechanisms to encourage uptake of inputs and the incorporation of farmers into corporate
Young people, land and agriculture in Zimbabwe: big challenges ahead
September 25, 2019 / FAC blog A new paper based on our work with young people in post-land land reform resettlement areas is out in the journal, Review of African Political Economy. You can read it in full here. It’s part of a great special issue on Zimbabwe edited by Grasian Mkodzongi
Ethiopia’s incentives to agribusiness investment require a serious rethink
September 19, 2019 / APRA blog FAC blog Primarily through its investment promotion agency, Ethiopia has been encouraging business investment for decades. It uses incentives such as import, export and income tax reduction or exemption, and provides investors with access to land. In a recent study, we explored
South Africa’s land report: Zimbabwe lessons?
September 19, 2019 / FAC blog South Africa’s land panel finally produced its report at the end of July. At 144 pages it’s an impressive document, making all the right noises. South Africa, like Zimbabwe, left the land issue for too long. 25 years after freedom, at least
Ethiopia: revising the national rice research and development strategy
September 17, 2019 / News Ethiopia is reviewing its national rice research and development plan for the next ten years. The National Rice Research and Development Strategy of Ethiopia (NRRDSE) was developed in 2010 and has been guiding the efforts of the country’s rice sector
Promoting Agribusiness Investment in Ghana: Rethinking Policy Incentives
September 12, 2019 / APRA blog FAC blog Agriculture is a major economic activity in Ghana, contributing 20 per cent to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In recognition that increased investment can help transform the largely subsistence-based agricultural sector, the government of Ghana and its development partners have implemented
APRA Malawi engages Media on agriculture commercialisation
September 11, 2019 / News The APRA research team in Malawi engaged with the media on agriculture commercialisation on 31st August 2019 at Ufulu Gardens in Lilongwe. We invited 22 journalists from the print and electronic sectors of the Malawian media. In addition, there was
Robert Mugabe: a complex legacy
September 10, 2019 / FAC blog Robert Mugabe died on September 6th in Singapore after a long illness, and the press has been full of commentary about his legacy. There is a deep fascination with him in the UK. Despite the drama of Brexit, his death was top news
Value Chain Participants in Smallholder Commercialisation in Mvurwi: Emerging Business Relations
September 3, 2019 / APRA blog FAC blog Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector has experienced radical transformation following a series of land reform programs and an economic meltdown that started in 2000. The implementation of the Fast Track Land Reform Program (FTLRP) led to widespread disruptions in the sophisticated input
Social Dynamics of Agricultural Commercialisation: What are the Community Perceptions?
August 14, 2019 / APRA blog FAC blog Agricultural commercialisation is seen by smallholder farmers as a potent means of improving their livelihoods and transforming rural communities. However, the commercialisation-induced rural transformation has the potential to alter both social relations and gender-based power dynamics within rural communities. As
African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) 2019 – Accra, Ghana, 3-6 September
August 13, 2019 / News “AGRF is the world’s premier forum for African agriculture, pulling together stakeholders in the agricultural landscape to discuss and commit to programs, investments, and policies to achieve an inclusive and sustainable agricultural transformation across the continent.” AGRF is upon us
6th International Conference of African Association of Agricultural Economists 2019, Abuja, Nigeria
August 13, 2019 / News “Rising to meet new challenges: Africa’s agricultural development beyond 2020 Vision” is the theme for the 6th African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE) triennial conference, which will take place on the 23-26th September 2019 at the Sheraton Hotel in Abuja,
A new framework for thinking about technological change
August 7, 2019 / FAC blog Global development is all about creating change for the better. One thing is certain: if we want to address the climate breakdown while achieving a high quality of life for all of the Earth’s citizens, it will take a transformation
A recap of the JPS Annual Summer Writeshop in Critical Agrarian Studies in Beijing
August 7, 2019 / News What are the structural barriers that hinder the growth of vibrant, well-networked Global South young researchers working in critical agrarian studies along scholar-activist tradition? Can a global network of Global South young researchers working in critical agrarian studies and along
The Future of Cocoa Production in Nigeria: An Account of Adegeye’s Extensive Research Experiences
August 1, 2019 / APRA blog FAC blog Cocoa farming is a profitable cash crop due to its economically diverse value chain products, as well as the international acceptance of that. Players and actors in cocoa value chain are the direct beneficiaries of this venture. Nonetheless, Nigerian cocoa
In memory of Professor Ephraim Wadonda Chirwa
July 29, 2019 / News Professor Ephraim Chirwa, the Director of Research-Africa of the Agricultural Policy Research in Africa (APRA) Programme and a founding member of the Future Agricultures Consortium (FAC), passed away after a sudden illness on the morning of 15 July 2019. An
What are ‘appropriate technologies’? Pathways for mechanising African agriculture.
July 26, 2019 / FAC blog Capital goods are essential for agriculture, whether for tillage, irrigation or threshing. Mechanisation of agriculture is therefore seen as a core aim for agricultural development, and is widely pushed as a route to increasing production and efficiency. But what scale
Analysing the dynamics of change: Using longitudinal, panel and cross-sectional studies to investigate complex social, environmental and technological issues
July 25, 2019 / News Due to financial and capacity limitations, a great deal of development-related research involves conducting single studies at one point in time. These ‘snapshots’ can provide useful insights into the people and conditions examined and the impacts of particular processes and
APRA at the EEA Conference: Analysing the Importance of Rice to the Ethiopian Economy
July 22, 2019 / News APRA engagement at the 17th Ethiopian Economics Association (EEA) Conference on the Ethiopian Economy The Ethiopia Team of the Agricultural Policy Research in Africa (APRA) Programme of the Future Agricultures Consortium (FAC) participated in the 17th International Conference of the
Can smallholders farm themselves into commercialised agriculture?
July 16, 2019 / APRA blog FAC blog This blog is based on Working Paper 26. Smallholder farmers form the bulk of agricultural producers in sub-Saharan Africa, constituting more than 90 percent of the farming community in this region, but they are mostly poor and face food insecurity.
APRA Contributes to a Pivotal International Conference on the State of the Ethiopian Economy
July 12, 2019 / News The Ethiopia Team of the Agricultural Policy Research in Africa (APRA) Programme of the Future Agricultures Consortium (FAC) is preparing for their participation in the 17th International Conference of the Ethiopian Economics Association (EEA) on the Ethiopian Economy (https://www.eeaecon.org/), which
Collective Action within Poor Farming Communities in Western Ghana
July 10, 2019 / APRA blog FAC blog Attempts to improve rural livelihoods tend to emphasise private sector and informal economic arrangements or social protection mechanisms, in the hope that these would spur local self-help initiatives among the poor. Underlying such thinking is the assumption that success in
Why radical land reform is needed in the UK
July 8, 2019 / FAC blog Half of the land is owned by 1% of the people. Getting information on who owns what land it is nigh on impossible. Tax arrangements favour land speculation. Ordinary people cannot get access to land to grow food. Where is
Responding to uncertainty: who are the experts?
July 1, 2019 / FAC blog Uncertainties are everywhere, part of life. But how to respond? Who are the experts? These are questions that we are debating this week at an ESRC STEPS Centre symposium. But they are also questions very pertinent to daily life in Zimbabwe,
Evidence uptake and use to transform Africa: Lessons from the “Utafiti Sera” model
May 29, 2019 / APRA blog FAC blog APRA members from Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi and Nigeria attended a two-day convening meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, which was organised by Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR). The main objective of the meeting was to bring together 120 participants
Youth engagement with commercialisation hotspots in Zimbabwe
May 23, 2019 / APRA blog FAC blog My interest in youth and agriculture commercialisation stemmed from two pivotal moments in the past decade. One from an ‘accidental finding’ from a 10-year longitudinal study of land beneficiaries of the Fast Track Land Reform (FTLRP) in Sanyati District, Zimbabwe
Are African youth innovative?
May 22, 2019 / FAC blog This is the question that we address in a new article published in the Journal of Rural Studies. Entitled ‘Are African rural youth innovative? Claims, evidence and implications’, the paper is open access and free to download. Our interest in
A lever for agricultural commercialisation? A critical look at the agricultural extension system in Malawi.
May 20, 2019 / APRA blog FAC blog In this assessment, we ask the question: is the extension services system in Malawi doing enough to facilitate agricultural commercialisation among smallholder farmers? This question arrives amidst concerns that commercial agriculture in Malawi, especially among small-scale farmers, has not really
The Chinese Belt and Road Initiative: what’s in it for Africa?
May 15, 2019 / APRA blog FAC blog The huge Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Forum recently concluded in Beijing. 37 heads of state attended, along with droves of policy advisors and numerous thinktanks and research institutes, including IDS where I work. Monica Mutsvanga, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services,
Challenging desertification myths
May 10, 2019 / FAC blog Tales of desertification across the world’s drylands are a recurrent theme in policy. This week’s blog reviews an excellent book that takes issue with many of the assumptions around desertification – The End of Desertification? Disputing Environmental Change in the Drylands.
Seeing Conflict at the Margins: understanding community experiences through social research and digital narrative in Kenya and Madagascar.
May 8, 2019 / News This month a new website is being launched for a project called ‘Seeing Conflict at the Margins: understanding community experiences through social research and digital narrative in Kenya and Madagascar.’ Their activities and some links are introduced below – for
APRA involved at the event: Towards a Pan-African Transformation: Innovative Approaches to Evidence uptake and use in Africa.
May 3, 2019 / Events News Date: 02 May 2019 – 03 May 2019 CABE Africa (https://www.cabe-africa.org/) are hosting Utafiti Sera, a policy research community of practice, via PASGR (Partnership for African Social & Governance Research). Hannigton Odame of APRA is conducting a presentation: “Charting the