Latest articles
Conference Report: Agricultural investment, gender and land in Africa – Towards inclusive, equitable and socially responsible investment
January 22, 2015 / Agricultural Investment, Gender and Land in Africa by Ruth Hall and Martha OsorioDecember 2014 The last few years have witnessed a dramatically renewed interest in Africa’s farmland, and the role of agricultural development has become more prominent in national and international agendas. As a result, many developing
How pastoralists innovate: stories from the highlands of China
January 10, 2015 / FAC blog 2. What alternative models are there among pastoralists in these provinces? From our fieldwork, an alternative model that we’ve observed is the tradable grazing right system, which we termed the hybrid institutional system. The hybrid system considers both market-based and
8 January 2015: China and Brazil in African agriculture – news roundup
January 8, 2015 / FAC blog What happened to ProSavana? The trilateral agricultural development project between Brazil, Japan and Mozambique has faced a number of setbacks since its inception. This article is a personal reflection by Timothy Wise regarding the stage at which he has found
2 new policy briefs on China & African agriculture
December 18, 2014 / China and Brazil in African Agriculture The School of Advanced International Studies’ China Africa Research Initiative at Johns Hopkins University (SAIS-CARI) has published two new policy briefs on Chinese agricultural engagement in Africa. The papers are written by Sérgio Chichava and Henry Tugendhat, members of our
Chinese Training Courses for African Officials: a “Win-Win” Engagement?
December 18, 2014 / Policy Briefs SAIS-CARI Policy Brief No. 3 by Henry Tugendhat December, 2014 Some 30,000 African public officials have participated in Chinese training courses, yet little is known about their goals, structure, or content. Henry Tugendhat observed classroom trainings, interviewed trainees and reviewed
Chinese Agricultural Investment in Mozambique: the Case of Wanbao Rice Farm
December 18, 2014 / Policy Briefs SAIS-CARI Policy Brief No. 2 by Sérgio Chichava November 2014 China’s largest agricultural investment in Africa is reported to be the Hubei Gaza Friendship Farm, established in 2007 in Mozambique and now managed by a private Chinese firm, Wanbao Africa
18 December 2014: China and Brazil in African agriculture – news roundup
December 18, 2014 / FAC blog Review and next steps for Rwanda’s ATDC A meeting was convened last week to review the last 3 years of the Chinese Agricultural Technology Demonstration Centre (ATDC) in Rwanda, and to discuss what happens next with the project. The Rwandan
International and regional guidelines on land governance and land-based investments: An agenda for African states
December 3, 2014 / Policy Briefs Future Agricultures policy brief 77 Emmanuel Sulle and Ruth Hall Global and regional guidelines have been developed in the period 2009–2014 to improve land governance in the context of large-scale land acquisitions in developing countries. These provide an opportunity for
26 November 2014: China and Brazil in African agriculture – news roundup
November 26, 2014 / FAC blog New FAO Credit Line for Mozambican farmers The FAO is said to have opened a new line of credit to reduce pockets of hunger in 36 districts of Maputo, Beira and Nacal with loans becoming available in the first quarter
Challenging misconceptions: Inclusive agricultural economies already exist in Africa
November 19, 2014 / FAC blog Wegerif went on to highlight how easily this economic activity could be enhanced if the Tanzanian government simply invested in building bicycle paths in and around the city. He told similar stories for milk (45,000 litres of milk delivered daily
19 November 2014: China and Brazil in African agriculture – news roundup
November 19, 2014 / FAC blog ABC interview key figures on South-South cooperation The Agência Brasileira de Cooperação (ABC) has published a series of interviews with people related to its South-South cooperation programmes. Relevant to African cooperation projects, this has included an interview with the Director
7 ways to work for better land rights
November 14, 2014 / FAC blog Recognise and strengthen customary rights, starting with statutory recognition Most of Africa’s land is held under customary land rights, and many of these property regimes are robust and have local legitimacy. Conventional land administration systems often fail in Africa, as
Does land titling work?
November 14, 2014 / FAC blog Only 20 studies over the past 30 years met the strict inclusion criteria. Very few studies disaggregated positive effects on women, a clear gap in the available research on tenure reforms. The results showed strong regional variations in the outcomes
Productivity assessments are let down by poor methods
November 13, 2014 / Science, Technology and Innovation Flawed methods are used to assess the productivity of new technology for farmers, resulting in unreliable evidence, according to a new briefing by Future Agricultures member Michael Loevinsohn. New technology that enables sustainable and profitable production of food is critical
Tackling land questions: Searching for systematic solutions amid a web of politics
November 13, 2014 / FAC blog Amid these tensions, the inaugural Conference on Land Policy in Africa started on Tuesday 11 November 2014 at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa. Contradictions abound: UN and World Bank aficionados praising the technical solutions many African countries are
Land policy for the next decade: Taking stock and moving forward
November 12, 2014 / FAC blog Her Excellency further observed that, in Africa, about 60% of the population derives its livelihood and incomes from farming, yet Africa’s agriculture is yet to match the needs of its growing population. The Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) is
12 November 2014: China and Brazil in African agriculture – news roundup
November 12, 2014 / FAC blog Brazil resumes swine exports to South Africa Swine exports from Brazil to South Africa have resumed after a 9 year ban. The block was originally imposed by Brazil after a spate of foot and mouth disease in Brazil, and its
7 November 2014: China and Brazil in African agriculture – news roundup
November 7, 2014 / FAC blog ‘Where is the evidence that land grabs are good for economic progress?’ This article questions whether land relocations will really benefit resource-rich countries. This is an interest question to be raised within the remit of the project, both concerning countries
Emerging Seed Markets: The Role of Brazilian, Chinese and Indian Seeds in African Agriculture
November 7, 2014 / Policy Briefs Policy Brief 79 Henry Tugendhat In recent years, three of the largest emerging powers, Brazil, China and India, have all brought about incredible agricultural revolutions and seeds have played a big part in that story. Nowadays, their seed markets are
Young African Researchers in Agriculture (YARA) network
November 3, 2014 / Young People & Agrifood The rural young population of Africa is rapidly growing and is expected to rise until at least 2040, in a context of rapid change in agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa. The key objective of this network is to promote robust empirical
31 October 2014: China and Brazil in African agriculture – news roundup
October 31, 2014 / FAC blog BRICS UN Nutrition meeting focuses on hunger and malnutrition BRICS countries met at the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), ahead of the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) scheduled to take place in November 2014. “Hunger” was the
Improving processes & advice for African agricultural policy
October 29, 2014 / Policy Processes On 11-13 June 2014, a three-day learning event was held in Ghana, discussing agriculture policy, its impact on agriculture performance and the political economy surrounding African agricultural policy processes. A report, programme, presentation slides and video from the event are
Workshop report: ‘The African Agriculture Policy Agenda in Practice: Managing processes and improving advisory capacities’
October 29, 2014 / Workshop Publications Report from the event ‘The African Agriculture Policy Agenda in Practice: Managing processes and improving advisory capacities’, Ghana, 11-13 June 2014
Programme: ‘The African Agriculture Policy Agenda in Practice: Managing processes and improving advisory capacities’
October 29, 2014 / Workshop Publications Programme of the event “The African Agriculture Policy Agenda in Practice: Managing processes and improving advisory capacities”, Ghana, 11-13 June 2014
Climate change & African agriculture, health and cities: 12 new reviews
October 24, 2014 / Climate Change The African continent is well-recognised as being vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. While there is undisputed evidence that the climate is changing, there is much uncertainty over how this affects different regions and sectors. 12 regional papers review
Revue de la recherche et de la politique en matière d’adaptation au changement climatique dans le secteur de l’agriculture en Afrique centrale
October 24, 2014 / Documents de travail / Working Papers in French Document de travail 98 Jacob Mbua Ngeve, Abdulai Jalloh et Michel Ndjatsana Juin 2014 Le présent rapport est le fruit d’une revue réalisée afin de synthétiser les travaux de recherche et les politiques en matière d’adaptation de l’agriculture au changement
Revue de la Recherche et des Politiques Relatives à l’adaptation aux Changements Climatiques dans les Zones Urbaines en Afrique Centrale
October 24, 2014 / Documents de travail / Working Papers in French Document de travail 97 Napi Wouapi, Abdulai Jalloh and Michel Ndjatsana Juin 2014 L’objectif de ce rapport est de faire la synthèse de la recherche menée au sujet de l’adaptation aux changements climatiques dans les zones urbaines en Afrique centrale
Revue de la recherche et des politiques relatives à l’adaptation aux changements climatiques dans le secteur de la santé en Afrique central
October 24, 2014 / Documents de travail / Working Papers in French Document de travail 96 Nafomon Sogoba, Abdulai Jalloh et Michel Ndjatsana Juin 2014 La recherche sur l’adaptation au changement climatique en Afrique et le soutien à ce processus bénéficient d’une attention croissante. Il est donc essentiel que les conclusions des
Revue de la recherche et des politiques en matière d’adaptation au changement climatique dans le secteur de l’agriculture en Afrique de l’Ouest
October 24, 2014 / Documents de travail / Working Papers in French Document de travail 90 Edward R. Rhodes, Abdulai Jalloh et Aliou Diouf Mai 2014 En Afrique, le secteur agricole est très vulnérable au changement climatique. La recherche sur l’adaptation à ce phénomène doit impérativement recevoir un soutien solide. Une étude
Revue de la recherche et des politiques axées sur l’adaptation au changement climatique dans les zones urbaines d’Afrique de l’Ouest
October 24, 2014 / Documents de travail / Working Papers in French Document de travail 89 Maruf Sanni, Abdulai Jalloh and Aliou Diouf Avril 2014 Ces dernières années ont vu une véritable explosion de la population humaine et du développement urbain. La sous-région d’Afrique de l’Ouest ne fait pas exception: sa population
Revue de la recherche et des politiques relatives à l’adaptation aux changements climatiques dans le secteur de la santé en Afrique de l’Ouest
October 24, 2014 / Documents de travail / Working Papers in French Document de travail 88 Seydou Doumbia, Abdulai Jalloh et Aliou Gory Diouf Avril 2014 Le continent africain est la région du monde la plus vulnérable à l’impact du changement climatique. Même si ce phénomène est incontestable et attesté par des
Journal of Peasant Studies new special issue: critical perspectives on Food Sovereignty
October 22, 2014 / FAC blog Related articles Food Sovereignty: a critical dialogue – event in January 2014 Missing politics and food sovereignty by Ian Scoones, 27 January 2014 (Future Agricultures blog) Food sovereignty: a growing activist and intellectual movement by Ruth Hall, 27 January 2014
World Food Day 2014: Seven new papers unpick debates on African agriculture and rural development
October 16, 2014 / FAC blog A new form of Afro-optimism IIED, the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) have teamed up to explore these debates by commissioning research with funding from the Department for International Development (DFID) and the International
The Politics of Small-Scale Irrigation in Tanzania: Making Sense of Failed Expectations
October 15, 2014 / Working Papers Future Agricultures Working Paper 107 Anna Mdee with Elizabeth Harrison, Chris Mdee, Erast Mdee and Elias Bahati September 2014 This working paper examines the dynamics of smallscale irrigation in two sites in Tanzania. It is an output from a wider
Synthesis of Findings and Assessment of Gaps in Research and Policy: Urban Areas, Agriculture and Health
October 13, 2014 / Working Papers Working Paper 105 Lars Otto Naess, Abdulai Jalloh, Mbène Dièye Faye, Aboubakar Njoya and Harold Roy-Macauley This report provides a synthesis of key headline findings from 12 regional reviews (see Annex 1) on research-policy linkages on adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa
Regional dialogue on Pastoralism and the ‘New Alliance’, June 2014
October 10, 2014 / Pastoralism A regional dialogue in Addis Ababa on 10 June 2014 explored how the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition can be harnessed to strengthen food security and nutrition for populations living in pastoral areas. The event, organised by Future
ISSD Launch – Johnson Irungu on behalf of Sicily Kariuki.pdf
October 10, 2014 / News Address given by Johnson Irungu on behalf of Sicily Kariuki at the launch of ISSD Africa, September 2014.
ISSD Launch – Janet Edeme speech
October 10, 2014 / News Address given by Janet Edeme at the launch of ISSD Africa, September 2014.
ISSD Launch – Gerbrand Haverkamp speech
October 10, 2014 / News Address given by Gerbrand Haverkamp at the launch of ISSD Africa, September 2014.
Marja Thijssen – ISSD Africa
October 1, 2014 / Workshop Publications Presentation slides given by Marja Thijssen at the ISSD Africa launch, September 2014
Janet Edeme – ISSD Africa
October 1, 2014 / Workshop Publications Speech given by Janet Edeme at the ISSD Africa launch, September 2014
Gerbrand Haverkamp speech – ISSD Africa
October 1, 2014 / Workshop Publications Speech given by Gerbrand Haverkamp at ISSD Africa launch, September 2014
Johnson Irungu speech – ISSD Africa
October 1, 2014 / Workshop Publications Speech given by Johnson Irungu on behalf of Sicily Kariuki at ISSD Africa launch, September 2014
ISSD Launch programme
October 1, 2014 / Workshop Publications Programme for the launch of ISSD Africa, September 2014.
To improve access to seeds for African farmers, we need more than technical solutions
September 26, 2014 / FAC blog These include: Promoting entrepreneurship: ISSD Africa sees a challenge in promoting entrepreneurship in more than just the typical seed value chains, such as maize. Improving access: unless we improve access to those varieties developed in the public domain, they are
New special issue of ‘Development Policy Review’
September 23, 2014 / Policy Processes A new open access issue of the journal Development Policy Review: ‘The Political Economy of Agricultural Policy in Africa’, has been published. Agricultural development is often seen as a technical issue, but Future Agricultures work has highlighted the politics and
Development Policy Review: The Political Economy of Agricultural Policy in Africa
September 17, 2014 / Journal special issues Development Policy Review, Volume 32, Issue s2September 2014 These articles are open access. Democratisation and the Political Incentives for Agricultural Policy in Africa Colin Poulton Beyond Technocratic Debates: The Significance and Transience of Political Incentives in the Malawi Farm Input