The “Agriculture in Africa– Telling Facts from Myths” project was initiated by the Chief Economist’s Office of the World Bank Africa Region in partnership with the African Development Bank, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, Cornell University, the Food and Agriculture Organization, London School of Economics, Maastricht School of Management, University of Pretoria, University of Rome Tor Vergata, University of Trento, and Yale University. It uses the Living Standards Measurement Study – Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) to update our current understanding of farming in Africa. Rapid economic growth and urbanization, higher food prices, demographic and climatic changes are fundamentally changing the environment in which Africa’s agriculture operates. This tests the validity of much of the common wisdom that is used to describe it.
he following commonly accepted wisdoms are challenged :
* Work in progress
Related Findings by African Project Scholars
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About the Data:
“Agriculture in Africa – Telling Facts from Myths” uses data collected under the Living Standards Measurement Study-Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA) initiative. The initiative is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other donor agencies. It is implemented by the research department of the World Bank (DECRG) and national statistical agencies.
- The data are gender disaggregated.
- The surveys are nationally representative and have been conducted in Ethiopia, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda from 2008 onwards.
- The data are geo-referenced and contain detailed information on agriculture at the plot level as well as many non-agricultural facets of people’s livelihoods (employment, income, consumption, shocks, assets, nutrition).
- All individuals have been visited at least twice, and between 2015 and 2020, all individuals will be visited twice again, giving at least 4 observations on each individual in total.
1 |
Use of modern inputs remains dismally low |
2 |
Land, labor and capital markets remain largely incomplete |
3 |
Land is abundant and land markets are poorly developed |
4 |
Access to credit is limited |
5 |
Labor productivity in agriculture is low |
6 |
Women perform the bulk of Africa’s agricultural tasks |
7 |
Agroforestry is gaining traction |
8 |
African agriculture is intensifying |
9 |
Seasonality continues to permeate rural livelihoods |
10 |
The majority of rural households are net food buyers |
11 |
Post harvest losses are large |
12 |
Droughts dominate Africa’s risk environment |
13 |
African farmers are increasingly diversifying their incomes |
14 |
The young are leaving agriculture |
15 |
Household enterprises operate mainly in survival mode |
16 |
Agricultural commercialization improves nutritional outcomes |
1 |
Use of modern inputs remains dismally low |
2 |
Land, labor and capital markets remain largely incomplete |
3 |
Land is abundant and land markets are poorly developed |
4 |
Access to credit is limited |
5 |
Labor productivity in agriculture is low |
6 |
Women perform the bulk of Africa’s agricultural tasks |
7 |
Agroforestry is gaining traction |
8 |
African agriculture is intensifying |
9 |
Seasonality continues to permeate rural livelihoods |
10 |
The majority of rural households are net food buyers |
11 |
Post harvest losses are large |
12 |
Droughts dominate Africa’s risk environment |
13 |
African farmers are increasingly diversifying their incomes |
14 |
The young are leaving agriculture |
15 |
Household enterprises operate mainly in survival mode |
16 |
Agricultural commercialization improves nutritional outcomes |