Preview

Sub Saharan Africa Essay

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1085 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Sub Saharan Africa Essay
I: Introduction
The hunger crisis facing Sub-Saharan Africa is among the most dire in the world. Primarily caused by poverty and a lack of food production, malnourishment is one of the most pressing issues facing Sub-Saharan governments and citizens (Smith). A wide variety of possible solutions to the problem have been suggested by those interested in Sub-Saharan Africa’s well-being. These solutions cover many sectors and industries, but most contain agricultural policy initiatives. Across Africa, agriculture employs “some 70 per cent of the work force and generates on average 30 per cent of Africa’s GDP,” and is therefore critical when considering living conditions and drivers of the economy (Ababa, 47).
Decades ago, the Green Revolution - an intentional expansion of agricultural outputs - significantly expanded the agricultural capacities of most of the …show more content…
Unfortunately, Sub-Saharan Africa faces significant financial constraints arising from the relative poverty of its constituent nations. However, Sub-Saharan Africa is the recipient of sizeable international aid contributions each year, and this aid could be used to help develop agricultural policies and practices. Therefore, in this paper I will examine the impacts and efficacy of targeted agriculture aid in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In order to examine agricultural aid, I will first explore the agricultural deficiencies across Sub-Saharan Africa. Then, I will consider the current policies that Sub-Saharan countries utilize regarding their agricultural sectors. Next, I will investigate the aid currently targeting African agriculture, and analyze the efficacy of that aid. Finally, I will discuss which types of aid to prioritize, and the impacts that a strengthened agricultural sector in Sub-Saharan Africa will have on global agricultural
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Summary Of Food And The City By Jennifer Cockrell-King
    • 1034 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Summary Of Food And The City By Jennifer Cockrell-King

    Ethiopia is well known as a nation of famine. Despite the overwhelming poverty of its citizens, land in Ethiopia is frequently leased or sold to rich nations in order to farm. Approximately thirty tons of produce is farmed in Ethiopia every day, but none of this goes to its starving citizens. Instead, it is sent to countries of the Middle East (Cockrill-King 2012, 65). Although thirteen million citizens of Ethiopia are not currently getting enough food, most produce is exported to other, richer countries.…

    • 1034 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    The Food Wars by Walden Bello
    • 1238 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Food Wars by Walden Bello

    Food insecurity is linked to various issues such as poverty, low income, poor infrastructure, inequitable access to land, water, credit and markets. Food security is also threatened due to natural disasters such as floods, droughts and further exacerbated by internal conflicts which can dislocate rural and farming communities. These issues and challenges are the normal and repetitive debates among the global community of practice regarding food security while the needs and necessities of the peasant farmers, who are responsible for the majority of food production around the globe, are not addressed. In The Food Wars, Walden Bello presents the important and burning issues of the North-South power gap and hierarchy regarding food security. Bello depicts and argues the role of the Bretton Woods institutions influencing agricultural policies in developing countries, organizations such as the WTO designing rules and regulations that exclude developing nations and their smallholder farmers, while donor organizations such as USAID heavily persuade developing nations to adopt unfriendly domestic policies. Most importantly, Bello closes the gap between the policies made by multilateral institutions, developing government ministries and their implication on the peasant farmer.…

    • 1238 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Sub-Saharan Africa Essay
    • 854 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Sub-Saharan Africa Essay

    As we have learned in this class, orphanhood offers many complexities and tribulations to those children which this circumstance has affected. The plight of the orphan is singular and unique to each individual; however, in some cases there are geographical, political, cultural and/or other variable factors that affect very large populations of orphans, sometimes unilaterally. This appears to be the case for orphaned children living in sub-Saharan Africa. Geographically, sub-Saharan Africa consists of all the countries located south of the Saharan dessert in the continent of Africa. Orphans living in this area of the continent face severe complications that are unique to their location. Orphans in sub-Saharan Africa are severely misrepresented and…

    • 854 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    African Americans Without Foreign Aid
    • 702 Words
    • 3 Pages

    African Americans Without Foreign Aid

    36% of Africans live on less than a dollar a day. 20% of the population is undernourished. However, people in foreign countries can help the poorer people by donating to trustworthy charities, and giving aid to the poor Africans who need it the most. Critics of aid say that giving aid to Africans creates stereotypes and doesn’t focus on creating a good economy of government. But it is more important to keep people alive than to create a good government and economy. You need able, healthy citizens to create a good workforce for a country, which is extremely difficult in Sub-Saharan Africa without foreign aid. Aid is needed in Africa because many people would die, it helps to get better death rates and accessible healthcare, and giving aid to keep people alive is more important that improving government.…

    • 702 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Sub Saharan Africa Essay
    • 3099 Words
    • 13 Pages

    Sub Saharan Africa Essay

    Over the course of many years, parts of Sub Saharan Africa have decreased in their population because of the STD AIDS. The African government plays a significant role in the reason behind the way AIDS has spread throughout Africa, as an epidemic. When AIDS was beginning to be well known, many African leaders did intervene and showed moral support for some time. Unfortunately, they fell short of providing adequate resources to the African people such as the drugs, better equipped hospitals and a safer country. Many other first class developed countries heard of the epidemic AIDS and the lack of help from their governments. Many of those countries did not feel the need to educate…

    • 3099 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Evaluate Nigeria's Agriculture Policy for Pro-Poor Growth
    • 1635 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Evaluate Nigeria's Agriculture Policy for Pro-Poor Growth

    There is a mass of evidence that, increasing agricultural productivity has benefited millions of people through higher incomes, more plentiful and cheaper food, and by generating patterns of development that are employment intensive and benefit both rural and urban areas. It is part of a major option of the UK department for international…

    • 1635 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Adding a Soil Fertility Dimension to the Global Farming Systems Approach, with Cases from Africa
    • 9127 Words
    • 37 Pages

    Adding a Soil Fertility Dimension to the Global Farming Systems Approach, with Cases from Africa

    Nutrient Cycl. Agroecosyst. 6, 169–179. InterAcademy Council, 2004. Realizing the promise and potential of African agriculture. Science and technology strategies for improving agricultural productivity and food security in Africa, IAC, Amsterdam. Janssen, B.H., Guiking, F.C.T., Van der Eijk, D., Smaling, E.M.A., Wolf, J., Van Reuler, H., 1990. A system for quantitative evaluation of the fertility of tropical soils (QUEFTS). Geoderma 46, 299–318. Kangasniemi, J., 2002. Financing agricultural research by producers’ organizations in Africa. In: Byerlee, D., Echeverria, R.G. (Eds.), Agricultural Research Policy in an Era of Privatization. CAB International, Wallingford, Oxon, UK, pp. 81–104. Kanmegne, J., 2004. Slash and burn agriculture in the humid forest zone of southern Cameroon. Soil quality dynamics, improved fallow management and farmers’ perception. Ph.D. thesis, Wageningen University, The Netherlands. ´ ´ Kante, S., 2001. Gestion de la fertilite des sols par classe d’exploitation au Mali-Sud. Ph.D. thesis, Wageningen University, The Netherlands. Levy, S., 2005. Starter packs: a strategy to fight hunger in developing countries? CAB International, Wallingford, UK. Manlay, R.J., Ickowicz, A., Masse, D., Floret, C., Richard, D., Feller, C., 2004. Spatial carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus budget of a village in the West African savanna. I. Element pools and structure of a mixedfarming system. Agric. Syst. 79, 55–81. Muriuki, A.W., Qureshi, J.N., 2001. Fertiliser Use Manual. Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya. Noble, A.D., Pretty, J., Penning de Vries, F., Bossio, D., 2004. Development of bright spots in Africa: cause for cautious optimism? Conference paper 18, presented at the NEPAD/IGAD regional conference Agricultural Successes in the Greater Horn of Africa. 23–35 November 2004. The New Partnership for Africa’s Development. OECD, 1993. OECD core set of indicators for environmental performance reviews. OECD Environment Monographs No 83. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Paris. Pagiola, S., 1999. The global environmental benefits of land degradation control on agricultural land. Global Overlays Program. World Bank Environmental Paper 16. The World Bank, Washington, DC. ´ ´ Pichot, J., Sedogo, M.P., Poulain, J.F., 1981. Evolution de la fertilite d’un sol ´ ferrugineux tropical sous l’influence des fumures minerales et organiques. Agronomie Tropicale 36, 122–133.…

    • 9127 Words
    • 37 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Food Security In Ethiopia
    • 2499 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Food Security In Ethiopia

    The main occupation in Ethiopia is agriculture. Yet food insecurity still persists. Due to monetary and political reasons only 25% of the total cultivable land is actually being used (IFAD 2014). A majority of the land being used to cultivate crops is only being used for subsistence farming which has very low productivity; 12.7 million smallholder farmers harvest approximately 95% of the country’s agricultural GDP (IFAD 2014). Due to this nature of farming practices, these farmers are exceedingly vulnerable to volatile global markets, social unrest, famine and drought, and other natural disasters. Smallholder farmers form the largest group of poverty ridden Ethiopians as a majority of them struggle to cultivate enough food to for the sustenance of their households. Another major factor to overall food insecurity is climate and the lack of adequate rainfall. Due to increasing global temperatures as well as the location of Ethiopia in terms of its proximity to the equator, prolonged and severe droughts have become more frequent over the last few years and this trend is expected to worsen over time. This sort of climate has a huge…

    • 2499 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Globalization, Trade, and Rural Development
    • 1747 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Globalization, Trade, and Rural Development

    References:  Pingali, Prahu, 2006. Agricultural Growth and Economic Development: A View through the Globalization Lens. Presidential Address to the 26th International Conference of Agricultural Economists, Gold Coast, Australia, 12 – 18th August, 2006. Swinnen, Johan. 2004. “The Impact of Globalization on Agricultural Development and Rural Poverty in Transition Countries.” Proceeding from Agricultural Development and Rural Poverty under Globalization: Asymmetric Processes and Differentiated Outcomes. Florence, Italy, September 8 – 11. Bautista and Valdez. 1993. “The Relevance of Trade and Microeconomic Policies for Agriculture.” In Bautista and Valdez (eds.). The Bias against Agriculture: Trade and Macroeconomic Policies in Developing Countries. San Francisco, CA: Institute for Contemporary Studies Press…

    • 1747 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Best Essays

    The World Trade organisaiton
    • 3914 Words
    • 16 Pages

    The World Trade organisaiton

    Healy S., Pearce R., Stockbridge M., 1998. The Implications of the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture for Developing Countries. 1st ed. 1: FAO.…

    • 3914 Words
    • 16 Pages
    Best Essays
    Read More
  • Best Essays

    Is Agriculture an Answer Development
    • 3155 Words
    • 13 Pages

    Is Agriculture an Answer Development

    Recently, several new comers to the middle income countries category, namely in North Africa, have made it above the $1.25 poverty line without experiencing an increase in agriculture contribution to GDP or working toward advancing this sector (r IFRP). This example is most intriguing since many non-oil exporting countries of North Africa had historically important agriculture sectors (El-Ghonemy, 1993) just as many of the still low-income group has/had in the near past and hence the former group might be of significant relevancy to lessons needed for the general development of the latter. Similarly, Latin American countries are experiencing better growth rates lately yet the contribution of agriculture to total GDP is not particularly faring better. Nevertheless, given the large numbers of people engaged in agricultural or related rural activities in low-income countries on the one hand and the structural limitations of developing other sectors providing alternative livelihoods for the majority in such countries, on the other, limit the scope of relevancy of North Africa and Latin America’s configuration of the relationship between agricultural and industrial sectors. Low-income countries should raise questions evaluating the possibility of attaining economic development without for example burdening state budgets with investments in agriculture in several case studies of low-income countries (sections II below). Another set of questions is how investment in agriculture might still help achieve necessary socio-economic transformation and development (given positive agricultural-endowments) even though the direct…

    • 3155 Words
    • 13 Pages
    Best Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Agricultural Mechanizasion as a Solution to Food Insecurity in Africa
    • 3378 Words
    • 14 Pages

    Agricultural Mechanizasion as a Solution to Food Insecurity in Africa

    Achieving food security in its totality continues to be a challenge for ever increasing population of Africa. A approaches are employed in developing countries but with less success due to a number of factors . this paper examines the causes of food insecurity in African. Scanning through researchers works ,it was noted that over seventy percent of the food insecure population in africa live in the rural areas. The paper therefore recommends that, if the ever increasing population of the african countries is to be fed, then mechanization of all agricultural operations should be embrace. In conclusion, efforts to words the development of the rural communities in Africa should be increased.…

    • 3378 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Youth Integration in Agriculture
    • 30432 Words
    • 122 Pages

    Youth Integration in Agriculture

    Pretty, J.N.; Thompson, J. and Kiara, J. 1994. ‘Agricultural Regeneration in Kenya: the Catchment Approach to Soil and Water Conservation’, Ambio: a Journal of the Human Environment. Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Pryke, J. and Woodward, D. 1994. ‘The GATT Agreement on Agriculture: will it help developing countries’, CIIR Briefing Paper. London: Catholic Institute for International Relations. Ratnam, C. 1991. ‘Institutions for Promoting Technological Modernisation of Indian Small Enterprises’, in A. Bhalla (ed.) Small and Medium Enterprises: Technology Policies and Options. New York: Greenwood Press. Ravallion, M. and Datt, G. 1995. ‘Is Targeting through a Work Requirement Efficient?: Some Evidence for Rural India’, in D. van der Walle and K. Nead (eds) Public Spending and the Poor: Theory and Evidence. Washington DC: The World Bank. Rukuni, M. and Jayne, T. 1995. Alleviating Hunger in Zimbabwe: Towards a National Food Security Strategy. Harare: University of Zimbabwe Publications. Scoones, I. 1998a. ‘Sustainable Rural Livelihoods: A Framework for Analysis’, Working Paper No. 72. Brighton: Institute of Development Studies. Scoones, I. 1998b. Agricultural Research and Extension: seminar given at the Institute of Development Studies, October 1998. Sen, A. 1981. Poverty and Famines. New York: Oxford University Press. Sen, A. 1986. ‘The Causes of Famine: A Reply’, Food Policy, 11. Sijm, J. 1997. Food Security and Policy Interventions in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lessons from the Past Two Decades. Amsterdam: Thesis Publishers. Stevens, C.; Kennan, J. and Yates, J. 1998. ‘Levelling the field: will CAP reform provide a fair deal for developing countries?, CIIR Discussion Paper. London: Catholic Institute for International Relations. Swinbank, A.; Jordan, K. and Beard, N. 1999. ‘Implications for Developing Countries of Likely Reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union’, report prepared for the Economic Affairs Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat. London: Commonwealth Secretariat. UNCTAD/WIDER 1990. Agricultural Trade Liberalisation in the Uruguay Round: Implications for Developing Countries. Geneva: United Nations. van der Walle, D. 1995. ‘Incidence and Targeting: An Overview of Implications for Research and Policy’, in D. van der Walle and K. Nead (eds) Public Spending and the Poor: Theory and Evidence. Washington DC: The World Bank. Woodward, D. 1995. ‘Structural Adjustment, Cash Crops and Food Security’, Appropriate Technology, 22(3): December. WTO 1996. The Results of the Uruguay Round (CD-Rom). Organization. Geneva: World Trade…

    • 30432 Words
    • 122 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Miss
    • 2188 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Miss

    The Concept of Agricultural Financing – Agriculture in Nigeria has over the years been largely a private indigenous activity inspite of the relatively recent intensification of interest by government in the sector and official efforts to infuse foreign private participation.…

    • 2188 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Poverty Reduction Strategy
    • 1448 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Poverty Reduction Strategy

    In recent years, poverty reduction continues to be a challenge in Nigeria. 69 million people, or 54% of the population, lived below the poverty line in 2004. the Nigerian government has promoted agricultural growth through several policies noting that agriculture “outperforms all other sectors in reducing poverty” as it is the sector responsible for the most employment, especially among the poor. These policies including; the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategies (NEEDS) I and II, the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP), the National Food Security Program (NSFP), and initiatives for crops including cassava and rice. Partly as a result of these programs, agricultural growth rates jumped from 3.5% annually in 1990-1999 to 5.9% annually in 2000-2007.…

    • 1448 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More

Related Topics