Themes
Future Agricultures explores what needs to be done to get different forms of agriculture – food/cash crops, livestock/pastoralism, smallholdings/contract farming/large holdings – moving on a track of increasing productivity and competitiveness.
We do this through work in 10 themes, examining how agricultural policy is made and put into practice in different settings, and how this could be improved
Latest articles
How can Africa adapt to climate change?
November 10, 2013 / Climate Change As the world meets to discuss adaptation climate change at the COP19 conference, Future Agricultures research looks at how African agricultural policy is responding in different ways to this major challenge. Our work looks at how climate policy discussions are
11 November, Brussels: Leaping and Learning report launch
November 4, 2013 / Pathways to Commercialisation An event on 11 November 2013 in Brussels will launch two new reports which provide practical, real-life examples of linking smallholder farmers in Africa to markets, as well as a robust academic review of the challenges faced, lessons learned and
Register: Food sovereignty, ISS, January 2014
November 1, 2013 / Land The International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) is organising a colloquium on food sovereignty on 24 January 2014 in The Hague. Places are limited, so early registration is advised. Full details: Food Sovereignty: A Critical Dialogue - 24 January 2014
New book: land deals and the state
October 25, 2013 / Land A new book examines the state's role in land deals through theoretical insights and empirical studies from around the globe. Governing Global Land Deals: The Role of the State in the Rush for Land analyses the relationships between global land
Kenya: a changing climate of policy
September 30, 2013 / Climate Change A new working paper analyses how discussions on climate change and agriculture in Kenya are driven from within and outside the country’s borders. Kenya has been ahead of many other countries in developing a national climate change strategy. But there
Warming to climate change in Ethiopia?
September 27, 2013 / Climate Change A new paper addresses how policy responses to climate change are shaping the agricultural sector in Ethiopia, and their significance for the country’s future development. 'Warming to Change? Climate Policy and Agricultural Development in Ethiopia' highlights multiple responses, including those
The New Alliance and changing patterns of growth – workshop
September 25, 2013 / Pathways to Commercialisation Initial findings from research into changing patterns of growth and investment in countries involved in the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, will be presented in November. Building on earlier analysis, this project reviews recent trends in agricultural growth,
Leaping and Learning: Linking smallholders to markets
September 17, 2013 / Pathways to Commercialisation Leaping and Learning: Linking Smallholders to Markets (pdf) is a comprehensive review of the existing literature on smallholder-centred market-based interventions. Smallholder farms in sub-Saharan Africa number around 33 million, represent 80% of all farms in the region, and contribute up
Technology: more than mobiles
September 17, 2013 / Science, Technology and Innovation Electronic devices allow farmers in Africa to access and share information as never before. But the role of ‘technology’ in agriculture is about more than just sharing practices through mobile phones. Institutions, social change and politics play a part. In
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
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
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
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
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,
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
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
IDS Bulletin: China and Brazil in African Agriculture
July 14, 2013 / China and Brazil in African Agriculture This IDS Bulletin brings together the first collection of empirical and review articles on how China and Brazil are engaging in African agriculture. It focuses on financial arrangements, practices and politics of engagement, the 'encounters' that occur during negotiations, and
Land grabs: getting the facts right
July 5, 2013 / Land As part of its series on global land deals, The Journal of Peasant Studies has released a collection of 5 new articles on the problem of recording accurate and reliable information on global land deals. The edition includes contributions from
FAO launches high-level reports on biofuels and smallholder farmers
June 26, 2013 / Science, Technology and Innovation Today (26 June 2013) sees the launch of two reports from the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition: #5 Biofuels and food security, and #6 Investing in smallholder agriculture for food security. Report 6, according to
G8 & Africa: reframing the New Alliance
June 14, 2013 / Land Through the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, G8 countries are seeking to mobilise the private sector and multi-national corporations to boost African agriculture. A new Future Agricultures / PLAAS briefing (pdf) looks at how African countries are engaging
How are climate impact models changing agricultural research?
June 14, 2013 / Climate Change Is climate-crop modelling opening the way for more 'non-expert' contributions? A journal article in Climatic Change discusses the impact of climate impact models on policies and programmes. Climate change adaptation is increasingly targeted within policies, programmes and interventions across a
G8: A recipe for solving hunger?
June 10, 2013 / Policy Processes As the G8 prepares to discuss transparency, hunger and nutrition, the approaches on the table have crucial implications for African agricultural policy. In a new blog post, Ian Scoones asks if the political dimensions of the global food system are
Displacement and changing labour in Zimbabwe’s farms
May 29, 2013 / Land Zimbabwe's recent land reform had a major impact on farm labour, with much displacement of workers from large-scale commercial farms. However, the scale and implications of this are much disputed and poorly understood. A new paper by Walter Chambati examines
Pastoralist innovation in Kenya
May 17, 2013 / Pastoralism On 29th April 2013 the RVI hosted a seminar to discuss the book Pastoralism and Development in Africa: Dynamic Change at the Margins, in collaboration with the Future Agricultures Consortium. The seminar brought together researchers, policy makers and practitioners to
Biofuels: living up to expectations?
May 14, 2013 / Land Have biofuel projects taken off as expected? A report from the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) looks at the situation in five countries which were seen as key destinations for the industry – and what effects the developments may have on
Large farming developments: reviewing the evidence
May 13, 2013 / Land What are the impacts of different types of large farming developments in Africa? On the blog, Rebecca Smalley explains the highlights from a literature review from our new project, Land and Commercialisation in Africa (LACA). The project looks at contract
Breathing new life into farming systems research
May 3, 2013 / Science, Technology and Innovation In a new blog post, Jim Sumberg suggests how the discipline of Farming Systems Research (FSR), pioneered in the 1970s, could be revived with new thinking. With agriculture once again high on the development agenda, and with new ambitions, actors
Does the ‘heifer-in-trust’ model work for social protection?
April 26, 2013 / Growth and Social Protection An article in Development Policy Review by James Sumberg and Gountiéni Damien Lankoandé examines the ‘heifer-in-trust’ or ‘livestock-in-kind credit’ model through a social-protection lens. Specifically it seeks to engage with debates about the use of asset-based strategies to support graduation
Special issue: Governing global land deals
April 22, 2013 / Land A special issue of the journal Development and Change, entitled Governing Global Land Deals: The Role of the State in the Rush for Land, is the latest of a series exploring global land, water and green grabs. This has been
Land guidelines: from paper to practice
April 3, 2013 / Land The tenth "Policies against Hunger" conference in June 2013 will centre around the question of how to apply the standards and principles described in the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the
The problem with profit
March 27, 2013 / China and Brazil in African Agriculture In a new post on the blog From Poverty To Power, Henry Tugendhat examines DFID’s policy of working with private investors to invest in developing economies. What can the UK learn from Chinese and Brazilian experiences in Africa? As new
China and Brazil in Africa: new papers
March 11, 2013 / China and Brazil in African Agriculture A set of seven new working papers looks at how Brazil and China are changing agricultural development in Africa. The China and Brazil in African Agriculture (CBAA) project analyses new patterns of development co-operation in Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
New book sheds light on Ethiopian seed systems
March 6, 2013 / Science, Technology and Innovation A new book, available as a free download (Zip file, 18MB), is the culmination of a considerable amount of new and important research on seed systems, both within Ethiopia and across Africa. Defining Moments in the Ethiopian Seed System draws
Media competition: Winners announced
February 27, 2013 / Policy Processes We're delighted to announce the winners of our Africa-wide journalism competition on the politics and processes that influence agricultural investment in Africa. The winners are: Print category: Oluyinka Alawode (Nigeria) Audio category: George Kalungwe (Malawi) We had over 40 submissions
Pastoralism book launch, Kenya: video & audio
February 18, 2013 / Pastoralism The book Pastoralism and Development in Africa: Dynamic Change at the Margins had its Kenya launch in Nairobi on 13 February 2013. The keynote speaker was Hon. Mohamed Elmi, Minister of State for Development of Northern Kenya and Other Arid
Busting myths about youth and agriculture
February 14, 2013 / Young People & Agrifood The debate on youth and agriculture has often assumed that simply encouraging young people to farm will solve the triple problem of unemployment, undernutrition and an ageing workforce. But the attitudes of young people themselves have largely been ignored, as
Are agricultural ‘success stories’ all they appear to be?
February 13, 2013 / Science, Technology and Innovation Demonstrating 'impact' has become a strong imperative for those involved in agricultural research. But this pressure has led to some large-scale claims for techniques that have only been tested at farm level. In a new blog post, Jim Sumberg examines
Productivity and food prices: the missing link?
February 8, 2013 / Pathways to Commercialisation High and unstable food prices have been high on international agendas in recent years, amid concerns about population, demand and environmental constraints. A new paper by Andrew Dorward argues that much greater attention needs to be paid to understanding and
Will there be a global food crisis in 2013?
January 23, 2013 / Pathways to Commercialisation FAC Commercialisation theme convenor Steve Wiggins is quoted in an IRIN article considering the outlook for global food security in 2013. After the 2012 drought affecting the USA, maize prices fell slightly, but from a relatively high position. Cereal prices
Food, finance and speculation
January 23, 2013 / Pathways to Commercialisation A new FAC Working Paper, Food price volatility and financial speculation (pdf), looks at the link between different forms of speculation on financial markets, and unstable or inaccurate food prices. In a post on the FAC blog, the paper's author,
Learning from pastoralists on climate change
January 7, 2013 / Pastoralism Change is sweeping the Greater Horn of Africa and many of the other drylands of the world. New threats are appearing, as well as opportunities. In a new post on the ILRI blog, Susan MacMillan looks at the section on
Online debate on the Future of Agriculture: 10-21 December
December 17, 2012 / Land Oxfam is running an online discussion from 10-21 December 2012, exploring key issues for the future of agriculture. They include: farmers’ knowledge as the driver of innovation and investment; women’s land ownership; farming’s dependence on fossil fuels; and effective risk
Chicken and politics mix in Ghana
November 28, 2012 / Policy Processes A post on the STEPS Centre blog by Future Agricultures researchers Jim Sumberg and John Thompson looks at the politics of chicken in Ghana, with elections just around the corner. 70,900 metric tons of frozen chicken were imported into the
Debate: farmers, GM crops and agriculture’s future
November 23, 2012 / Science, Technology and Innovation The Guardian's latest Global Development podcast features a panel discussing the future for farmers, GM crops and agriculture. The discussion, which includes FAC's Andrew Dorward, was recorded at the UK DSA conference in October 2012. High food prices, concerns about
Malawi’s Green Belt: squeezing smallholder farmers?
November 18, 2012 / Growth and Social Protection Malawi's Green Belt Initiative aims to offer land to local and international investors, in order to increase agricultural production, productivity, incomes and food security. But it may also be facilitating 'land grabs' from smallholder farmers. This new Policy Brief (pdf)
Malawi’s Green Belt: squeezing smallholder farmers?
November 18, 2012 / Land Malawi's Green Belt Initiative aims to offer land to local and international investors, in order to increase agricultural production, productivity, incomes and food security. But it may also be facilitating 'land grabs' from smallholder farmers. This new Policy Brief (pdf)