Themes
Future Agricultures explores what needs to be done to get different forms of agriculture – food/cash crops, livestock/pastoralism, smallholdings/contract farming/large holdings – moving on a track of increasing productivity and competitiveness.
We do this through work in 10 themes, examining how agricultural policy is made and put into practice in different settings, and how this could be improved
Latest articles
Unpacking the Political Economy of Sugar in southern Africa
October 17, 2016 / Pathways to Commercialisation A new open journal special issue of the Journal of Southern African sheds light on the political economy of sugar in southern Africa. The past decade has witnessed an upsurge in interest in the relationship between corporate capital and agricultural
China & Brazil in African Agriculture: Two New Working Papers
October 17, 2016 / China and Brazil in African Agriculture Two new working papers published in November 2016 concluded our Working Paper Series on the China & Brazil in African Agriculture project. Beyond 'Family Farming Versus Agribusiness' Dualism: Unpacking the Complexity of Brazil's Agricultural Model examines the multifaceted relationship between
Young people and agriculture in Africa – new report
August 26, 2016 / Young People & Agrifood A new report assesses the available research on African young people’s engagement with agriculture, and analyses how this evidence is reflected in current European Union (EU) policy and programming in Malawi, Ethiopia and Kenya. Young People and Agriculture in Africa:
Working paper series: China and Brazil in African Agriculture
February 21, 2016 / China and Brazil in African Agriculture Our series presents research over the last 4 years on Chinese and Brazilian relationships with farmers, business, civil society and states in Africa. It looks at the implications for agricultural development in Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Status: The Working
World Development Special Issue: China and Brazil in African Agriculture
February 18, 2016 / China and Brazil in African Agriculture Our China and Brazil in African Agriculture research has produced a special issue of the journal World Development, with 8 new open access articles available to download. Through 16 different case studies, the project revealed a complex set of engagements,
Brazil and China in Africa Conference, Maputo, December 2015
December 15, 2015 / China and Brazil in African Agriculture The Mozambican Institute for Economic and Social Studies (IESE) hosted a conference titled 'Brazil and China in Africa' on December 7 in Maputo. The conference comprised a session on the 'Voice of China in Africa' and a session on the
Book: Africa’s Land Rush
November 2, 2015 / Land Africa has been at the centre of a "land grab" in recent years, with investors lured by projections of rising food prices, growing demand for "green" energy, and cheap land and water rights. But such land is often also used
Pathways for irrigation development in Africa
June 3, 2015 / Irrigation A new working paper and summary reviews the policies and practices around irrigation in Africa, through case studies from three countries. Pathways for irrigation development in Africa – insights from Ethiopia, Morocco and Mozambiqueby Naomi Oates, Guy Jobbins, Beatrice Mosello
Land grabbing and ‘political reactions from below’
May 18, 2015 / Land The Journal of Peasant Studies (JPS) has released a special issue on 'global land grabbing and political reactions from below', guest edited by Marc Edelman, Ruth Hall, Ian Scoones, Ben White and Wendy Wolford. The collection is free access for
China and Brazil in African agriculture: co-operation or culture clash?
May 6, 2015 / China and Brazil in African Agriculture This workshop on 15 June in Central London presented our research on impacts and implications of Brazilian and Chinese engagements in African agriculture on development and aid. With practitioners and academics, we debated how the so-called ‘Rising Powers’ are reshaping
Debating land governance at CAADP
March 25, 2015 / Land Future Agricultures was represented at the 11th CAADP Partnership Platform in Johannesburg on 24 March 2015, by Ruth Hall, convenor of the Land theme. Prof Hall spoke at a side event on ‘Improving Land Governance for Inclusive and Sustainable Agricultural
Call for contributions: Contested Agronomy 2016
February 5, 2015 / Science, Technology and Innovation The conference “Contested Agronomy: Cases, Dynamics & Implications” will take place at the Institute of Development Studies in February 2016. Contested Agronomy 2016 is a conference about the battlefields in agricultural research, past and present. For full details, visit the
“We are aware of a plan to divide this lake into pieces”
January 30, 2015 / Land Fishing communities in Uganda are under threat from evictions and loss of access to Lake Victoria. Their story is one example of the takeover of land and water by businesses, governments and local elites. To address the problem, there have
Call for Papers: BRICS & Agrarian Change conference
January 30, 2015 / Land The BRICS Initiative for Critical Agrarian Studies (BICAS) has issued a Call for Papers for an international conference with an African focus, with emphasis on transformations in food systems and implications for policy responses. The conference, "Rural Transformations and Food
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Parliamentarians meet to respond to the ‘land rush’
August 8, 2014 / Land Parliamentarians from Southern Africa met on (11-12 August 2014 to debate how foreign agricultural investment can bring benefits to local people, in the context of the ‘land rush’. Land rights, food security and jobs are among the themes discussed at
‘Carbon missionaries’: saving Africa from itself?
July 11, 2014 / Climate Change Carbon schemes, designed to protect and sustain forests in the global South, can conflict with the interests of those who live in and depend on them. On our blog, Joanes Atela problems with the 'missionary discourse' behind this key part
CAADP: how can Africa’s agricultural development be sustained?
July 7, 2014 / Policy Processes An event in the UK Houses of Parliament on ‘The future of African Agriculture and CAADP’ will be held on 15 July. Colin Poulton, convenor of the Policy Processes theme of Future Agricultures, will be discussing new research on the
Pastoralism, politics and violence
July 2, 2014 / Pastoralism Two new working papers present studies of conflict among pastoralists and other groups in two regions of the Horn of Africa and an area of Northern Namibia. Pastoralists are responding to social and economic changes in different ways. Understanding the
Strengthening African seed systems
June 25, 2014 / Science, Technology and Innovation A regional dialogue on “Strengthening African Seed Systems: Technical, Economic and Policy Challenges” took place in Nairobi on 14-15 July, hosted by Future Agricultures and the Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development. Video and presentations from the event are
Sustainable intensification: don’t forget the politics
June 19, 2014 / Land The idea of 'sustainable intensification' has gained traction in recent years. But what does it mean for Africa? In a new blog post, Ian Scoones argues that advocates of SI should pay more attention to social contexts and political choices
Pastoralism in Ethiopia: new briefings and paper
June 4, 2014 / Pastoralism The pastoral areas of the Horn of Africa are some of the most dynamic economically on the continent, with a combined export and domestic livestock trade surpassing $1 billion per annum. Livestock marketing is driving urban and small town growth,
Climate adaptation in West Africa: reviewing policies & evidence
May 29, 2014 / Climate Change Africa’s agriculture sector is commonly regarded as vulnerable to particular impacts of climate change. Adapting to climate change is an important area for research and policy development. A series of three working papers reviews research and policy on climate change
Women’s collective action: new briefings
May 23, 2014 / Gender & Social Difference Two new policy briefs look at how collective action might help women to be more included in agricultural markets. The first (pdf) examines the potential benefits of collective action, how these vary across contexts, and the challenges for policy. The
Video: explaining our China & Brazil in African Agriculture project
April 30, 2014 / China and Brazil in African Agriculture In a new video, Henry Tugendhat explains our CBAA (China and Brazil in African Agriculture) project, and how it is investigating the emerging links between rising powers and the agricultural sector in Africa. Henry Tugendhat is a Research Officer for
‘African Farmer’ online game launched
April 23, 2014 / Science, Technology and Innovation African Farmer, a free, open source online game, has been launched by the Future Agricultures Consortium and the University of Sussex. The game simulates the complex decisions and uncertainties faced by small-scale farmers living in Sub-Saharan Africa. It aims to
Does CAADP need more political economy?
April 2, 2014 / Policy Processes On our blog, Blessings Chinsinga reports back from CAADP's 10th Partnership Platform in Durban. Among many positive discussions about the future of farming in Africa, is there a need for a new focus on the political economy of agriculture? Blog:
Changing the conversation on gender & land
March 31, 2014 / Gender & Social Difference Our conference in Cape Town on 5-7 March brought together more than 100 people from civil society, governments, academia and business to change the conversation about gender, land and agriculture in Africa. Presentations, video, blogs and other material from the
New topic guide on Land published
March 28, 2014 / Land A new topic guide on the subject of land, by Anna Locke (Future Agricultures Land theme) and Giles Henley, has been published. This is the latest in the Overseas Development Insitute’s 'Evidence on Demand' series. It covers the following: Growing
Food sovereignty dialogues resources
March 19, 2014 / Land The critical dialogues on food sovereignty held 14-15 September 2013 in Yale University, USA, and 24 January 2014 at the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) in the Hague have produced some excellent resources. The dialogues brought together the world’s
Telling stories about scarcity
February 17, 2014 / Land ‘Scarcity’ is a key term in debates about the global rush for land and other resources. A new working paper from our project on Land and Agricultural Commercialisation in Africa looks at different narratives of scarcity related to the future
Transforming Africa through agriculture
February 3, 2014 / Pathways to Commercialisation Economic development is not just about growth - it is about transformation. In a new blog post, Steve Wiggins looks at what we know about agriculture's rise in Africa, and how smallholder farmers can be part of transforming the future
Do input subsidy programmes work? Lessons from Malawi
January 27, 2014 / Growth and Social Protection How can input subsidy programmes help farmers to produce more food and reduce poverty? In this blog post, Andrew Dorward and Ephraim Chirwa share the key insights from their new book on Malawi’s experience, and suggest lessons for the future
Food Sovereignty: a Critical Dialogue
January 21, 2014 / Land On 24 January 2014, the event ‘Food Sovereignty: A Critical Dialogue’ brought together sceptics and advocates of food sovereignty to discuss the future of this controversial idea in critical agrarian studies. Ian Scoones chaired the opening keynote session of this
Southern Africa Sugar Research Network
January 17, 2014 / Land Sugar has been making big changes in Southern Africa’s agrarian landscape. Over the past two decades, South African and multinational sugar companies have pursued an aggressive investment drive into Southern Africa, often facilitated by purchase of formerly state-owned enterprises. A
Land grabbing: lessons from history
December 18, 2013 / Land A new article by Elena Baglioni (a former Early Career Fellow) and Peter Gibbon (DIIS) examines ‘land grabbing’ in relation to the history of plantation and large- and small-scale farming in sub-Saharan Africa.It looks at the extent of plantation farming
New paper: Biofuels and land rights in Tanzania
December 16, 2013 / Land A new working paper examines the impacts of large-scale biofuel investments, focusing on a case from Tanzania. Like much of sub-Saharan Africa, Tanzania has experienced a surge in land-based investment during the past decade. The paper, by Emmanuel Sulle and
Conference: Agricultural Investment, Gender & Land in Africa
December 9, 2013 / Land Conference on Agricultural Investment, Gender and Land in Africa - Towards inclusive, equitable and socially responsible investment Venue: Protea Hotel, Stellenbosch (Cape Town), South AfricaDate: 5 Mar 2014 to 7 Mar 2014 The conference includes contributions from academia, government, private
Call for Proposals: BRICS Initiative for Critical Agrarian Studies
December 2, 2013 / Land 2 December 2013: The BRICS Initiative for Critical Agrarian Studies (BICAS) invites applications for small grants for research papers on the themes outlined below, and welcomes applications from PhD students or recent PhDs. The deadline for proposals is 1 February
BRICS Initiative for Critical Agrarian Studies launched
December 2, 2013 / Land The BRICS Initiative for Critical Agrarian Studies (BICAS) is a new collective of largely BRICS-based or connected academic researchers concerned with understanding the BRICS countries and their implications for global agrarian transformations. For its launch, BICAS has released its first
New book: Agricultural input subsidies and Malawi
November 27, 2013 / Growth and Social Protection Agricultural input subsidies have been adopted on a large scale across different African countries in the last few years. A new book, Agricultural Input Subsidies: the Recent Malawi Experience, by Ephraim Chirwa and Andrew Dorward, examines the benefits and risks
Debating Zimbabwe’s Land Reform: new book
November 26, 2013 / Land Zimbabwe’s land reform has been intensely controversial. Yet debate has been plagued by bias and misinformation. A new book by Ian Scoones, Debating Zimbabwe’s Land Reform, aims to offer a more considered discussion, rooted in field-based, empirical research carried out
Global climate politics meets national agricultural policy
November 20, 2013 / Climate Change Agriculture has not always had an easy ride in international climate negotiations. But even when farming and food are considered, there is sometimes conflict between global politics and local policy processes. On the blog, Joanes Atela considers how global climate