Why agricultural production in sub-Saharan Africa remains low compared to the rest of the world - a historical perspective

Agricultural production in sub-Saharan Africa has, in recent times, remained lower than the rest of the world. Many attribute this to factors inherent to Africa and its people, such as climate, soil quality, slavery and disease. This article traces the role of agriculture through history and argues...

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Published inInternational journal of water resources development Vol. 36; no. sup1; pp. S20 - S53
Main Authors Bjornlund, Vibeke, Bjornlund, Henning, Van Rooyen, Andre F.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Guildford Routledge 01.10.2020
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
Agricultural production
climate
Crops
Economic development
Economics
exports
Farming systems
Food security
historical perspective
resource extraction
Slavery
Soil
Soil quality
Sub-Saharan Africa
Trade
water
Wealth
Sub-Saharan Africa
Africa
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Summary:Agricultural production in sub-Saharan Africa has, in recent times, remained lower than the rest of the world. Many attribute this to factors inherent to Africa and its people, such as climate, soil quality, slavery and disease. This article traces the role of agriculture through history and argues that these are not the main reasons. Before the arrival of European traders, complex agricultural systems existed, which supported food security, manufacturing and trade. External interference manipulated these systems in pursuit of export crops. Independence has not fundamentally changed this; resource and wealth extraction continue to inhibit economic development for Africans in Africa.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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ISSN:0790-0627
1360-0648
1360-0648
DOI:10.1080/07900627.2020.1739512