Productive Diversification of African Agriculture and Its Effects on Resilience and Nutrition
The agriculture sector in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remains the backbone of national economies, sustaining rural and urban livelihoods alike, and providing food and income for the majority of households. Recent agriculture growth in Sub-Saharan Afri...
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| Format: | Report |
| Language: | English |
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World Bank, Washington, DC
2018
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/942331530525570280/Productive-diversification-of-African-agriculture-and-its-effects-on-resilience-and-nutrition http://hdl.handle.net/10986/30262 |
| Summary: | The agriculture sector in Sub-Saharan
Africa (SSA) remains the backbone of national economies,
sustaining rural and urban livelihoods alike, and providing
food and income for the majority of households. Recent
agriculture growth in Sub-Saharan Africa has been solid and
has supported improvements in nutrition outcomes and
poverty rates.Despite some relative gains, food insecurity
and malnutrition in absolute terms continue to be major
public health challenges in most African countries south of
the Sahara, and most recent data are cause for concern. Many
countries are still highly reliant on the production of one
crop for national food security, which largely determines
the total caloric intake of the rural population. Farmers in
Sub-Saharan African are vulnerable to market risks and
weather-related risks and shocks. Decisions on whether to
diversify or to specialize production impact resilience, and
thus their capacity to cope with and adapt to these risks.
Market- and climate-related risks to smallholders in SSA are
compounded by predictions that both the suitability of crop
area for staples such as maize, and crop nutrient content
could be substantially lowered with rising average
temperatures. This report highlights that there is no
one-size-fits-all solution in fostering diversification and
provides a selection of policies available to governments
that can promote or constrain diversification. |
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