Agriculture Research and Poverty Reduction: Pathways and Drivers in East and Southern Africa

Wanjiru Kamau-RutenbergDirector, African Women in Agricultural Research

& Development (AWARD)

Agriculture Research and Poverty Reduction: Pathways and Drivers in East and

Southern Africa

Rethinking Pathways for Eastern & Southern Africa

• Region in Context

• Mapping Impact of Ongoing Transformations

o Economic

o Technological

o Political

BENIN

SUDAN

SOUTHAFRICA

SWAZILAND

LESOTHO

NAMIBIAZIMBABWE

ANGOLA

ZAMBIA MOZAMBIQUEMALAWI

TANZANIA

BURUNDI

RWANDA

KENYAUGANDA

DJIBOUTI

ETHIOPIA

BOTSWANA

ERITREA

EAST AFRICA

Burundi

Djibouti

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Kenya

Madagascar

Rwanda

Somalia

Sudan

Tanzania

Uganda

SOUTHERN AFRICA

Angola

Botswana

Lesotho

Malawi

Mozambique

Namibia

South Africa

Swaziland

Zambia

Zimbabwe EASTERN & SOUTHERN

AFRICASource: UN Data

BENIN

Agriculture as

a % of GDP (2010 or last available data)

< 15 %

15-30 %

30-45 %

> 45 %

Human Dev

Index rank

GDP/capita

(2010 $)

Botswana 109 7,627

South Africa 118 7,157

Namibia 127 5,651

Zambia 141 1,221

Kenya 147 809

Swaziland 148 3,061

Angola 149 4,477

Rwanda 151 562

Madagascar 155 391

Zimbabwe 156 594

Tanzania 159 548

Lesotho 162 836

Uganda 164 500

Sudan 166 1,705

Djibouti 170 1,383

Ethiopia 173 350

Malawi 174 321

Mozambique 180 458

Burundi 180 180

Eritrea 182 397

Economic development

indicators

Source: NEPAD, Agriculture in Africa, 2013

Hunger and malnutrition in Africa


Hunger Index

(2013)

Natural resource endowment in agricultural sector

Soil

degradation

Total renewable water

resources (billions m3/year)

Potential unused

agricultural land for

agriculture (2002)


www.scienceforum2016.org

Agricultural research for rural prosperity: Rethinking the pathways

Rethinking Assumptions on the Economy

What does ongoing economic transformation mean for agriculture in East

and Southern Africa?

• Economies of Eastern and Southern Africa are undergoing rapid

transformation and growth

• Decisions in Beijing have a massive impact on the region

• Increasing diversification of economies means agriculture must

compete with emergent sectors such as manufacturing and real

estate.

• Increasing regional integration means potentially larger markets for

agricultural products

• A rapidly growing middle class means we must prepare smallholder

farmers to address the tastes and preferences of a wealthier African

middle class



Facing East

Source: UN COMTRADE 2015



Leveraging the Technology Opportunity

• Tech sector undergoing radical transformation

• With low access to broadband internet for the region, mobile phones

and associated technologies have potential to transform extension

services for rural farmers



Free Internet for Africa



Re-Centering Politics

What do ongoing political transformations mean for agriculture in East and

Southern Africa?

• Political context in Eastern and Southern Africa undergoing rapid

transformation.

• While Democracy is the overarching trend, processes are highly

country-specific.

• Some countries are opting to pursue a more centralized model

delivering big wins quickly

• Others in the region are in the midst of radical devolution of powers

including fiscal decentralization.

• Most countries in Eastern and Southern Africa are in midst of heated

contestation about the future of democracy. Agricultural pathways to

prosperity must recognize and carefully navigate those contestations



Politics Matters



Source: FreedomHouse

Democratic Trends



Fundamentals on the Way Forward in

the Region:

• Pathways to rural prosperity will need to

be customized to each specific country

context

• NARES will remain critical partner as the

CGIAR seeks to deliver context-relevant,

innovative agricultural interventions

towards rural prosperity in the region

Agriculture Research and Poverty Reduction: Pathways and Drivers in East and Southern Africa

Science

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