Transforming Agriculture In Southern Africa

This book provides a synthesis of the key issues and challenges facing agriculture and food production in Southern Africa. Southern Africa is facing numerous challenges from diverse issues such as agricultural transformations, growing populations, urbanization and climate change. These challenges place great pressure on food security, agriculture, water availability and other natural resources, as well as impacting biodiversity. Drawing on case studies from Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, the chapters in this book consider these challenges from an interdisciplinary perspective, covering key areas in constraints to production, the most important building blocks of good farming practices, and established and emerging technologies. This book will be a valuable support for informing new policies and processes aimed at improving food production and security and developing sustainable agriculture in Southern Africa. This informative volume will be key reading for those interested in agricultural science, African studies, rural studies, development studies and sustainability. It will also be a valuable resource for policymakers, governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and agricultural practitioners. This title has been made available as Open Access under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CCBY-NC-ND) license and can be accessed here: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9780429401701

Pamphlet on research needs in agricultural research to foster agricultural production increase in Africa - examines the economic recession and development aid; considers agricultural development since 1960; suggests a study of agricultural research policy, as well as research on obstacles to agricultural production, human resources, capital formation, and the economic policy of food security. References.

Perspectives on Agricultural Transformation - A View From Africa

This book is a collective effort by leading South African researchers in agricultural economics. The book reviews policies and challenges in the agricultural economy which aim to promote equitable participation and transformation for a better future. South Africa is faced with urgent challenges: inequality has to be replaced with equity; poverty needs to be substantially reduced; living standards need to be improved; and growth needs to be maintained while keeping production internationally competitive. The agricultural sector has a crucial role to play in the process of achieving growth with equity. This book examines: structure and production in agriculture; income and employment growth in rural areas, including land distribution; agricultural marketing; water usage and food security; international trade and agricultural finance; research and development policy; and trade patterns in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). South African agriculture is currently characterized by a commercial modern sector, an emerging farmer sector and a subsistence sector. The strategic plan for South African agriculture is to unite these sectors into a prosperous agricultural industry. This book suggests policies that will enhance this process and ensure that agriculture continues to produce food at reasonable prices, earning foreign exchange and providing income to the rural poor.

The economic and political rise of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) and Middle-Income Countries (MICs) have important implications for global agrarian transformation.These emerging economies are undergoing profound changes as key sites of the production, circulation, and consumption of agricultural commodities; hosts to abundant cheap labour and natural resources; and home to growing numbers of both poor but also, increasingly, affluent consumers. Separately and together these countries are shaping international development agendas both as partners in and potential alternatives to the development paradigms promoted by the established hubs of global capital in the North Atlantic and by dominant international financial institutions. Collectively, the chapters in this book show the significance of BRICS countries in reshaping agro-food systems at the national and regional level as well as their global significance. As they export their own farming and production systems across different contexts, though, the outcomes are contingent and success is not assured. At the same time, BRICS may represent a continuation rather than an alternative to the development paradigms of the Global North. The chapters were originally published in a special issue of Third World Thematics: A TWQ Journal.

Publisher description

It is becoming increasingly evident that a strong focus on digitalisation as a means to drive agricultural transformation is bearing dividends in the forms of increased production, better livelihoods, more efficient value chains and ultimately greater food and nutrition security. Digitalisation is also key to attracting youth back to agriculture. The use of a wide range of technologies – from mobile phones to drones – is helping smallholders gain access to the information and data they need to transform their businesses. One of the goals in CTA’s 2016–2020 Strategic Plan was to reach 1 million farmers, and a focus on digitalisation is helping us to achieve that. In many of our activities, there is a strong focus on supporting youth and promoting women empowerment.