Politics Of Agriculture In Tropical Africa

Studies of the economic policy of agricultural development in Africa - looks at its local level, national level and international dimensions; reviews dependence, the farming system and state intervention debates; examines roles of agribusiness, World Bank, role of USA and role of Canada; includes case studies on the Cote d'Ivoire, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Zaire and Zambia. References.

Most Africans live in rural areas and derive their incomes from farming; but because African governments follow policies that are adverse to most farmers' interests, these countries fail to produce enough food to feed their populations. "Markets and States in Tropical Africa "analyzes these and other paradoxical features of development in modern Africa and explores how governments have intervened and diverted resources from farmers to other sectors of society. A classic of the field since its publication in 1981, this edition includes a new preface by the author.

The 1980s have seen the issue of agricultural development take on a new urgency in Africa as agricultural production has gone into decline. The essays in this volume examine the political economy of change in African agriculture by exploring the local, national, and transnational dimensions of the politics of agriculture in historical depth as well as in current situations. The belief is that obstacles to the improvement of the living conditions of low income Africans are found at all three levels of study and that obstacles at different levels may reinforce one another to restrict development. The case studies of countries or institutions presented in this volume share the common task of analyzing the interaction of politics and production in concrete and specific circumstances. Each study explores several aspects of agricultural change: the growing vulnerability of peasant producers to exploitation; the capacity of capital to derive more surplus from agriculture; and the ability of peasants to resist exploitation both politically and economically. The result sheds light on the future for the African economy, rural populations, trade, and growth.

Most Africans live in rural areas and derive their incomes from farming; but because African governments follow policies that are adverse to most farmers' interests, these countries fail to produce enough food to feed their populations. Markets and States in Tropical Africa analyzes these and other paradoxical features of development in modern Africa and explores how governments have intervened and diverted resources from farmers to other sectors of society. A classic of the field since its publication in 1981, this edition includes a new preface by the author.

Following independence, most countries in Africa sought to develop, but their governments pursued policies that actually undermined their rural economies. Examining the origins of Africa’s “growth tragedy,” Markets and States in Tropical Africa has for decades shaped the thinking of practitioners and scholars alike. Robert H. Bates’s analysis now faces a challenge, however: the revival of economic growth on the continent. In this edition, Bates provides a new preface and chapter that address the seeds of Africa’s recovery and discuss the significance of the continent’s success for the arguments of this classic work.

First published in 1987. This book is based on an analysis of relevant literature and on the results of field studies carried out over a number of years in Sub-Saharan Africa. These studies were part of a research programme on agricultural commercialization and rural development in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, undertaken by the Department of Geography of Developing Countries, University of Utrecht.

Economic analysis of agricultural development in Africa South of Sahara - examines administrative aspects, technical aspects, institutional framework and economic implications of rural development and modernization in tropical zones; studies economic conditions and agrarian structure (farm size, farming system, land tenure, etc.); discusses the contribution of regional level economic cooperation, regional organizations, the role of EC countries development aid and multinational enterprises. Bibliography, graphs, references, statistical tables.