Promoting Private Sector Involvement In Agricultural Marketing In Africa

The long-term reduction of hunger and poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa remains one of the great challenges for the international development community. Eliminating hunger and promoting widespread growth in the region inevitably involves agriculture, given its central role in the region’s economies. Over the past 20 years, most African governments have carried out reforms to deregulate agricultural markets and reduce the role of state enterprises. How much has the state actually withdrawn from agricultural markets? Have well-functioning private markets emerged? How successful were these reforms in boosting agricultural production, economic growth, and the incomes of the rural poor? What lessons can we learn from the reform process? The authors of this book address these questions through an analysis based on an extensive review of experiences with reform, focusing on three major agricultural markets: fertilizer, food crops, and export crops. They examine the historical rationales for intervention, the factors contributing to reform, the process of implementation, and the impact of the reforms on farmers and consumers in Sub-Saharan Africa. The authors find that reforms have had many favorable results, but that the impact has been muted by partial implementation and structural constraints. They propose a new agenda for promoting the development of agricultural markets in Sub-Saharan Africa, identifying areas where governments can play a supportive role. They argue that appropriate agricultural marketing policies and investments can improve livelihoods and the economic health of the region.

For 25 years, population growth has outpaced increases in agricultural production in Sub-Saharan Africa. The lack of food and the degradation of agricultural land have forced policymakers to reassess agricultural strategies for the region. This paper provides such a reassessment by identifying policies and investments that have worked and those that have not. The author sets out the common elements required for agricultural and rural development throughout the region. The strategy presented in this paper comprises elements from several development sectors, including transport, water supply, education, finance, and the environment. The author makes five broad recommendations to promote Region: adoption of policies to promote private sector farming and agricultural marketing, processing, and credit development and distribution of new technologies inclusion of farmers in decisions affecting their livelihood development of infrastructure and social programs in support of agriculture improved management of natural resources Projections of the likely effects of the proposed policies and investments are included. Tables throughout the text present statistics on agricultural growth rates, commodity prices, and deforestation in the region. An annex contains more general tables, with information on population growth and fertility rates, land use, agricultural exports, and droughts. The strategies suggested in this paper will be of interest to policymakers, academics, and to development practitioners involved in African agriculture.

Marketing is defined as the business activities associated with the flow of goods and services from production to consumption. The marketing of agricultural products begins on the farm, with the planning of production, and is completed with the sale of food or other goods to consumers or manufacturers. Agricultural marketing also includes the supply to farmers of fertilizers and seeds as inputs for production. Overall, marketing is an essential component of successful agriculture but its importance is often underestimated, especially in developing countries. This book brings together the most significant writings on agricultural and food marketing as related to development over the last 40 years. The editor has selected key sections of significant books and papers, grouped them by their overall theme, and provided introductory commentaries. The book is intended for students of food and agricultural marketing in the developing countries and will also interest professionals in this subject area.

The changing pattern of international agricultural trade has profound implications for Africa. The book's authors discuss these trade flows, map the corporate landscape of agro-food, (including the emergent indigenous sector), and assess trends in international development co-operation in the corporate sector. Particular focus is given to "aid for trade" programs that try to foster private-sector development and trade-capacity building. A final chapter, drawing lessons from five country case studies provides evidence of the (in)effectiveness of government intervention and donor programs to promote the marketing of African agriculture.--Publisher's description.

Research report on agricultural sector and state intervention in agricultural marketing and agricultural price in Africa south of Sahara - discusses shortcomings of the agricultural project approach; includes case studies of Ghana, the Cote d'Ivoire, Kenya, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia; examines availability of land and labour force, climatic influence, price structure, incentives, farmers' attitudes towards price changes, etc.; lists recommendations. Graphs, references and statistical tables.

This study examines ways to increase food security, reduce poverty and achieve economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa with ‘water’ through increased participation of the private sector and publicprivatepartnerships. This report is a summary of the findings from a review of the literature and critical analysis thereof. The ‘private sector’ includes all farmers, farm households, and agriculture-based micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). That is: all entities involved in crop, livestock and fish production and marketing, in post-harvest activities and food processing, and in supply chains for the goods, services and information used in the process. The study examines different types of agricultural water development and management. These include smallholder subsistence farming, cultivation of profit-oriented high-value crops, and peri-urban agriculture, as well as successful examples of private sector involvement in various functions or processes, including planning, design, construction, operations and maintenance. The spotlight on ‘water’ does not imply that other factors, such as off farm employment, market development and education, are unimportant.