FAC blog
Opinions and comments from Future Agricultures researchers on agricultural politics, science and society in Africa
Latest articles
23 April 2015: China and Brazil in African agriculture – news roundup
April 23, 2015 / FAC blog New SAIS-CARI papers on China and South-East Africa The SAIS China Africa Research Initiative in Washington DC has published two new working papers on Chinese agricultural engagements in Africa. Tang Xiaoyang writes about ‘Assessing the Impact of Chinese Investment on
China & Brazil in African agriculture series: first 6 papers published
April 20, 2015 / FAC blog Read the working papers Situating Tian Ze’s role in reviving Zimbabwe’s Flue-Cured Tobacco sector in the wider discourse on Zimbabwe- China cooperation: Will the scorecard remain Win-Win? Future Agricultures Working Paper 115 Langton Mukwereza February 2015 View paper View abstract
Closing the gap: Youth employment and imagined futures in rural Africa
April 17, 2015 / FAC blog To increase the work opportunities available to rural young people in Africa, government policy and development programmes tend to highlight two potential pathways: Agriculture, and the most common line is that taken by Karen Brooks and her colleagues at the
13 April 2015: China and Brazil in African agriculture – news roundup
April 13, 2015 / FAC blog Mysteries of the China-Africa Development Fund Deborah Brautigam blogs about the China-Africa Development (CAD) Fund, discussing the misconceptions that have surrounded it and some of its key features. She points out that it is not a sovereign wealth fund
ITOCA offers 132 sets of electronic papers for African institutions – apply by 30 June
April 13, 2015 / FAC blog Eligibility requirements: The institution is located in one of the following countries: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania or Uganda The Institution has an Agriculture or related fields department or specialises in Agriculture and related fields. The Institution does not
Soil management in Africa: ways forward
April 1, 2015 / FAC blog Figure 1 offers a very simple, rather crude matrix of contexts. One axis focuses on agro-ecological contexts (from low to high responsive soils and available soil moisture). The other axis focuses on socio-economic contexts (from conditions where returns to inputs
26 March 2015: China and Brazil in African agriculture – news roundup
March 26, 2015 / FAC blog China to help Ghana build a $1bn solar plant China’s Hanergy Group is investing one billion USD to construct a 400-megawatt (MW) solar power plant in Ghana. Hanergy is currently the world’s largest solar power company by market cap and
Policy options for African soils: learning lessons for future action
March 26, 2015 / FAC blog What would a framework for policy and implementation look like? This is much more contested. A variety of ‘models’ – often with rather implicit policy assumptions – are being, or have been, tested. These include (among many others, and different
The long road to African land rights: next steps
March 25, 2015 / FAC blog Land deals, gender, youth and agricultural investment I made a presentation summarising lessons on large-scale land-based investments, outlining the key policy frameworks – the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Voluntary Guidelines on Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in
The visible and invisible battles in Brazil’s agricultural co-operation
March 23, 2015 / FAC blog A diversity of actors, models and practices No longer the exclusive realm of diplomats and agronomists, today Brazil’s agricultural cooperation frontline is populated by politicians, technocrats, consultants, traders and social movement activists, operating in a seemingly independent fashion and taking
20 March 2015: China and Brazil in African agriculture – news roundup
March 20, 2015 / FAC blog Developing the Meat Grab This paper by Mindi Schneider looks at the dramatic effects of Chinese agriculture’s shift towards meat production and how the state’s narrative of ‘food-security’ is crumbling fast. Schneider suggests looking at this phenomenon through a “meat
Why an integrated approach to soil management is essential
March 19, 2015 / FAC blog Experience across Africa demonstrates that a ‘one size fits all’ solution is inappropriate. An integrated approach to soils management is required, mixing different inputs in different amounts for different places. Deriving from extensive research we have learned that: Radical technological
Homefields and outfields: different sites, different response to soil management
March 10, 2015 / FAC blog These data are from rich Highveld red soils, and the pattern will be different in the majority of sandy or sandy loam soils elsewhere, where loss of organic matter is often more sudden, and very difficult to reverse. Many soils
More than rocket science: the 3 generations of Farmer First
March 9, 2015 / FAC blog The three ‘generations’ of Farmer First The first generation represented by the first book on Farmer First covered farmer innovations preceding 1987. The second book, Beyond Farmer First, covered the period between 1987 and 1992. The third book Farmer First
6 March: China and Brazil in African agriculture – news roundup
March 6, 2015 / FAC blog Sudan seeks stronger ties with Brazilian agriculture Sudan’s Minister for Agriculture has said that their country is seeking to attract greater agricultural investments and trade with agricultural companies from Brazil. He cited their interest in chicken and fish farms as
Soils for life: Some cautionary tales for the International Year of Soils
March 2, 2015 / FAC blog There is no doubt that changes in soil structure, losses through erosion and soil fertility decline are important issues. But these global figures are derived from some dubious calculations that are often rather meaningless. Aggregated up from multiple small studies,
2 March 2015: China and Brazil in African Agriculture news roundup
March 2, 2015 / FAC blog Science Agenda for African Agriculture showcased by Embrapa A delegation from the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa has visited EMBRAPA in Brazil “to strengthen the existing collaboration.” The two organisations run the Africa-Brazil Agricultural Innovation Marketplace between themselves since
Introducing our new working paper series on China & Brazil in African agriculture
February 25, 2015 / FAC blog These contrasts come out strikingly when reading across the papers. The cases also highlight the diversity of engagements grouped under ‘development cooperation’ in agriculture. Some focus on state-facilitated commercial investments; others are more akin to ‘aid projects’, but often with
Land, dispossession and the law
February 17, 2015 / FAC blog More about land and biofuels Our research on Land Green grabbing: a new appropriation of nature? Image: martey (Flickr)
‘Quadruple Wins’: learning from DFID’s evaluation of the Future Agricultures Consortium, 2008-2013
February 11, 2015 / FAC blog These concluded that FAC’s ‘unique, researcher-led network’ model and its approach to analysing and understanding the political economy of agricultural policy processes provides a ‘quadruple win’ leading to positive impacts and outcomes through synergies between four key areas: High-quality research
6 February 2015: China and Brazil in African agriculture – news roundup
February 6, 2015 / FAC blog China seeks higher profile for its GM crops in global markets Article in Xinhua news that quotes a vice-director of the central agricultural working group as saying that China should not let GM markets be dominated by other countries. The
Can the UN’s land guidelines help Uganda’s threatened fisherfolk?
January 30, 2015 / FAC blog The FAO Tenure Guidelines: can they help? The most significant global response to the land rush of the past decade has been the creation of the Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Governance of the Tenure of Land, Forests and Fisheries in
30 January 2015: China and Brazil in African agriculture – news roundup
January 30, 2015 / FAC blog Southern Africa Beyond the West Conference The journal of Southern African Studies is hosting its 1st Biennial Conference on ‘Southern Africa Beyond the West’ in August 2015 in Livingstone, Zambia. The conference aims to look at the ‘Political, Economic and
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
16 September 2014: China and Brazil in African Agriculture – news roundup
September 16, 2014 / FAC blog ‘Brazil risks its image in Africa with neo-colonial practices’ This article looks at how Brazilian multinationals have become the main actors within Brazil-Africa relations. It argues that despite Brazilian government narratives of justice and equality, Brazil’s multinationals are now driving
New research on land reform in Zimbabwe: summary of ASAUK2014
September 15, 2014 / FAC blog The session kicked off with an excellent paper by Leila Sinclair-Bright who discussed the changing social relations between ‘new farmers’ on an A1 resettlement area in Mazowe and farmworkers. Through a deep, focused ethnographic approach she looked at changing notions
Inclusive business model? The Case of Sugarcane Production in Tanzania
September 10, 2014 / FAC blog As suggested in a number of voluntary guidelines, including the African Union Framework and Guidelines, and the FAO Voluntary Guidelines for the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security, the rights of women and
Talking Zimbabwe & Land Reform at ASAUK14 this Wednesday
September 5, 2014 / FAC blog The six papers that will be presented and discussed are listed below. Shiela Chikulo, ‘Emerging market discourses in a changing ‘agrarian economy’? The case of the fresh vegetable markets in Zimbabwe’, Ruzivo Trust, Harare. Marleen Dekker, ‘Navigating through times
2 September 2014: China and Brazil in African Agriculture – news roundup
September 2, 2014 / FAC blog Mugabe secures Chinese support Seeking to find $4 billion worth of funding to reinvigorate the Zimbabwean economy, Mugabe went on an official state visit to China last week. It is unclear how much was agreed upon, but a 9 large-scale
20 August: China and Brazil in African Agriculture – news roundup
August 20, 2014 / FAC blog ‘Emerging powers, state capitalism and the oil sector in Africa’ The September 2014 edition of ‘Review of African Political Economy’ includes an article by Ian Taylor with the above title. “The global development landscape is rapidly changing with the acceleration
The challenges of agriculture: attitudes of Senegalese young people from the Afrobarometer Round 5 Survey
August 16, 2014 / FAC blog For the four first questions, regarded as categorical variables, the 7 possible answers were as following: -1 Missing 1 Agree very strongly with 1 2 Agree with 1 3 Agree with 2 4 Agree very strongly with 2 5 Agree
15 August: China and Brazil in African Agriculture – news roundup
August 15, 2014 / FAC blog 6th China-IFAD South-South Cooperation Conference August 4: the Vice-Chairman of China’s Ministry of Finance took part in the 6th China-IFAD South-South Cooperation Conference in Maputo. It involved the participation of Mozambique, Burundi, Ethiopia, Egypt and 13 other African countries, along
Engaging parliamentarians on large scale land investments in Africa
August 15, 2014 / FAC blog The conference was the fourth and final one in a process that has taken place in the four sub regional parliaments of West, East, Southern and Central Africa African parliaments respectively. The Pan African Parliamentarians were appraised of the achievements
Livelihood pathways after land reform in Zimbabwe
August 13, 2014 / FAC blog There is no simple story, and there’s much complexity. Diverse livelihood pathways can be identified: some have gained from land reform, while others have not. Outcomes are dependent on access to assets, income from off-farm activities, as well as hard