Political Economy of Agricultural Policy in Africa
An international conference
18-20 March 2013, Pretoria, South Africa
What makes African governments invest in agriculture? This Future Agricultures conference brings together key figures from research, politics, donor organisations and civil society to ask:
- What motivates African governments to invest in different kinds of agricultural development?
- What influence do domestic politics, external donors and pan-African networks have?
- How successful can civil society and social movements be in pushing for more pro-poor agricultural policy in Africa?
Organising committee: Colin Poulton (SOAS), Blessings Chinsinga (University of Malawi), Ian Scoones (Institute of Development Studies), Kassahun Berhanu (Addis Ababa University), Augustin Loada (Université de Ouagadougou) and Gaynor Paradza (PLAAS, University of Western Cape).
This conference is co-hosted by the Future Agricultures Consortium (FAC) and the Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS).
Latest articles
The Future of Farming in Zimbabwe
October 17, 2016 / Political Economy of Agricultural Policy in Africa The divisive land reform in Zimbabwe in 2000, caused wide-spread controversy and chaos throughout the country, affecting people’s livelihoods. The aftermath of the land reforms and the impacts it has had on small and medium-scaled farming are examined in a
Video: Political Economy conference plenaries
April 17, 2013 / Political Economy of Agricultural Policy in Africa The six plenary sessions at the Political Economy of Agricultural Policy in Africa conference were filmed in their entirety. Watch the videos below to see debates on the BRICS, African co-operation, civil society and the policy process. The conference took
Video: participant interviews
April 7, 2013 / Political Economy of Agricultural Policy in Africa These short video interviews were filmed with participants at the Political Economy of Agricultural Policy in Africa conference. Participants interviewed include Arilson Favareto, Buba Khan, John Barrett, Lidia Cabral, Patience Mutopo, Nancy Kachingwe, Tamani Nkhono-Mvula and Ruth Oniang'o. The conference
Storify: Political Economy conference 2013
March 19, 2013 / Political Economy of Agricultural Policy in Africa During the Political Economy of Agricultural Policy in Africa conference, participants have been sharing information, comments and links with each other and the outside world over social media. Our Storify feed from the event (embedded in this page below) brings
Media competition: Winners announced
February 27, 2013 / Political Economy of Agricultural Policy in Africa We're delighted to announce the winners of our Africa-wide journalism competition on the politics and processes that influence agricultural investment in Africa. The winners are: Print category: Oluyinka Alawode (Nigeria) Audio category: George Kalungwe (Malawi) We had over 40 submissions
Online poll #2: Attracting young people to agriculture
March 15, 2012 / Political Economy of Agricultural Policy in Africa During the Young People, Food and Agriculture conference, we are asking a series of questions on the role young people in Africa play in agriculture. FAC YPF poll #2 Poll #2 There was an error on your page. Please correct any
Voices from Senegal: interviews with young farmers
March 12, 2012 / Political Economy of Agricultural Policy in Africa What do young people really think about farming? Under the FAC Young People and Agrifood Theme, Dr Mohamadou Sall of Cheikh Anta Diop University (Dakar, Senegal) interviewed young farmers who are working under the REVA Plan. The REVA Plan was
Blog: Urban myths and rural futures for Africa’s young people
March 11, 2012 / Political Economy of Agricultural Policy in Africa Are people in Africa really moving as much in one direction - into towns and cities - as is commonly believed? Ahead of our Young People, Farming and Food conference, John Thompson, Future Agricultures Consortium co-ordinator, has written a blog
Reading list: Young People, Farming and Food
February 14, 2012 / Political Economy of Agricultural Policy in Africa If you are attending or interested in our Young People, Farming and Food conference, you may like to read some of the resources below. They are selected examples of the rich body of research and reporting on youth and farming
What do young people think about cocoa farming in Ghana?
February 10, 2012 / Political Economy of Agricultural Policy in Africa There is renewed interest in shoring up agriculture as an avenue to economic growth and, more broadly, to development on the African continent. This is evident in current policy and development discourses, in the budgetary and programmatic commitments of governments
Conference Programme
January 27, 2012 / Political Economy of Agricultural Policy in Africa International Conference on the Political Economy of Agricultural Policy in Africa18-20 March 2013 - Roodevallei, Pretoria, South Africa Convened by the Future Agricultures Consortium (FAC) and the Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) Organising Committee: Colin Poulton, Blessings
Media competition: winning entries
January 20, 2012 / Political Economy of Agricultural Policy in Africa We're delighted to announce the winners of our Africa-wide journalism competition on young people, farming and food. We had over 40 submissions to the competition. The panel was all agreed in the winning entries according to the following criteria: 1.
General Call for Papers
June 29, 2011 / Political Economy of Agricultural Policy in Africa Deadline 15 September 2011 The organizers invite papers that offer rigorous analysis from various critical perspectives around the topics and questions listed below. We also encourage comparative studies and welcome proposals for thematic panels. Co-organized and hosted by the Future
Ghanaian Student Call for Papers
June 29, 2011 / Political Economy of Agricultural Policy in Africa Deadline 15 September 2011 The organizers intend to have a panel of 4-6 presentations, selected on a competitive basis, from current or recently completed undergraduate and/or postgraduate students from Ghana. Conference costs for the selected presenters will be covered. Co-organized
FAC Discussion Paper – Future Farmers: Youth Aspirations, Expectations and Life Choices
June 21, 2011 / Political Economy of Agricultural Policy in Africa Young people constitute a high and increasing proportion of the African population, with around 70 percent of the continent’s total population currently under the age of 30. Evidence suggests many young people are choosing not to pursue livelihoods in the
Background to the conference
April 19, 2011 / Political Economy of Agricultural Policy in Africa Agricultural development is back at the top of the development agenda in Africa. Ten years ago, the Maputo Declaration committed African governments to substantial increases in investment. Since then, 23 countries have completed country investment plans as part of the