Small/Medium Farmer in Sub-Saharan Africa&

USAID Agricultural Strategy

Michael Satin / AFR/SD USAID

September 2004

                                                    

            

                                                    

            

Small/Medium Scale Farming

• 70% of African households income comes from Agriculture

• Agriculture represents 30% – 40% of Africa's GDP

• Accounts for almost 60 percent of Africa's export income

• Small-scale farms represent 90 percent of Africa's agricultural production

IFAD 2003

Challenges Faced by the Small Scale Farmer

• Low land productivity, • Inadequate rural infrastructure, • Vulnerability to natural disasters,

and;• High levels of insecurity. • Africa is plagued by a high

prevalence of HIV/AIDS - significantly reduces Agriculture production.

Challenges

• High levels of poverty and malnutrition

• Declining food security in many countries

• Low crop yields; population growth rates have exceeded agricultural production growth

• Land degradation & deforestation

• Declining role for Africa in world trade (i.e. down to only 2% of world agricultural trade, only 1% of overall world trade)

Hunger in Africa is expected to rise

231

206

2003 2007 2011 2015

Num

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f peo

ple

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103

Year 2011

Sub-SaharaAfrica50%

Rest of the

World50%

Year 2001

Sub-Sahara Africa38%

Rest of the

World62%

Increasing Share of Global Hunger

(USDA, 2002):

Per Capita Food Production Across Subregions

Old Model• Focus of past efforts – large scale, industrial

agricultural production.

Old Model Development Theories

• Development is measured primarily by increased material consumption

• Efficiency measured by the “bottom line”

• Increasing farm size leads to increases in productivity through economies of scale

The New Model

Focus efforts on increasing yields for small scale / subsistence farmers.

Characteristics of The New Model

• The average subsistence farm is half to one hectare in size

• May be simultaneously growing various crops such as: cassava, sorghum, millet, dairy, and vegetables

• Household size is 5-7 people with approx. 1-2 adults managing

USAID APPROACH

For More Information see the USAID website at WWW.USAID.GOV

Strategic USAID Themes• Expanding Global, Regional, and Domestic

Trade Opportunities and Improving Capacity• Improving the Social, Economic, and

Environmental Sustainability of Agriculture• Mobilizing Science and Technology and

Fostering a Capacity for Innovation• Broadening Agricultural Training and

Education, Outreach, and Adaptive Research

Expanding Trade Opportunities and Improving the Capacity of Farmers• Expand access to

credit

• Develop Farming Cooperatives

• Improve access to commodity storage and processing technologies

•Science Policy, Strategies, and Governance Systems•Technology Development and Application•Public/Private Sector Partnerships and Networks•National Innovation Capacity

Mobilizing Science and Technology Mobilizing Science and Technology and Fostering Capacity for Innovationand Fostering Capacity for Innovation

Broadening Agricultural Training and Education

• Education and Training

• Information and Communication Technologies

• Problem-Based Site-Specific Learning

• Food Security and Nutrition• Health and HIV/AIDS• Assets and Risk Management• Gender Equality• Good Economic and Political Governance• Expanded Alliances

Complimentary Themes

Initiative to End Hunger in Africa (IEHA) Overview

Initiative was announced at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, implemented in

2003 in three countries & three regions

Initiative to End Hunger in Africa

Goal:

“To help significantly reduce hunger and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa ”

Objective:“To rapidly and sustainably increase agricultural growth and rural incomes in sub-Saharan Africa”

IEHA’s Distinguishing Features – I

A market-oriented and smallholder-based growth strategy to reduce hunger and poverty in Africa

A sub-Saharan Africa-wide strategy that focuses investments in those countries that will serve as models of success as well as growth poles

National development strategies will be complemented by regional ones to help generate regional growth dynamics

IEHA recognizes that hunger and poverty will not be solved by agriculture alone – advances also needed in health, education, infrastructure, environment and public policy management

To ensure success, IEHA will focus on countries whose leaders are committed to growth and hunger reduction as a priority development concern.

IEHA will build alliances and constituencies with other development partners

IEHA’s Distinguishing Features - II

Focal areas of a New Initiative for Africa

1. Technology systems and applications that support agricultural growth and economic transformation (TARGET).

2. Improving the efficiency and equity of agricultural market and trade systems.

3. Community-based farmer organizations, to deliver grower, business and environmental services.

Focal areas of a New Initiative for Africa Con’t.

4. Building the human capacity to shape and lead the policy, technical and service development efforts.

5. Ensure that vulnerable groups have access to services and markets (especially those in transition from crisis to development)

6. Ensure that economically important land use systems are developed in an environmentally sustainable manner.

IEHA Results on the Ground •  Uganda: Biotechnology Policy Development / Biosafety Commission / Biotechnology Research / Fisheries Research and Dissemination / Investing in the Development of Export Agriculture (IDEA) Project

•  REDSO: Regional Agricultural Trade Expansion Support (RATES), Seed policy harmonization, Fine Coffee Association

• Mozambique: Formation of Farmer Associations / Export marketing and rice and cashew production projects has a crucial producer association support components

•RCSA: Dissemination of low-external-input technologies and farming methods to smallholder farmers; and (b) Development of strategies to mitigate HIV/AIDS and other impacts

•WARP: Support to Regional Market Information Networks

•Mali: The Mali Trade Promotion project has a crucial producer association support components.

Other USAID African AG Programs

The goal of STCP is to improve the economic and social well-being of smallholders and the environmental sustainability of tree crop farms STCP Program Structureregional program in 5 West African countries—Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, and Nigeria7 national pilot projects, working directly with farmer organizationsworks with the ILO/IPEC regional project on Child Labor and with organizations such as with SOCODEVI in Côte d’Ivoire

Sustainable Tree Crops Program

Conclusion

Agriculture (especially smallholder agriculture) is the vehicle out of hunger and poverty

About 80% of the African population derive their food and economic livelihood from rural Agriculture

Over 70% of the African labor force is employed in Agriculture

African Agriculture contributes over 30% to overall GDP

40% of Africa’s export earnings are from Agriculture

In most countries, smallholder agriculture accounts for more than half of the total value of agricultural production, and up to 96% in some

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