The Role of Agriculture for Food Security and Poverty Reduction in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

That agriculture contributes significantly to several sub-Saharan African (SSA) economies and provides livelihoods to a bulk of the rural poor, mainly smallholder farmers, is incontrovertible. Though agriculture in SSA is characterized by moderate-to-low productivity and offers depressed returns, it continues to be the vital sector for employment generation, food security, and poverty reduction. The slack performance of the agricultural segment has resulted in high levels of poverty and hunger in the region. This chapter posits an increase in public spending on agriculture and its prioritization in the development agenda of states. It acknowledges the proven capabilities of this critical sector for income generation, poverty reduction, and food security and thereby its ability to engender pro-poor growth in SSA.