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Annual Review of Resource Economics

Volume 14, 2022

Changing Farm Size Distributions and Agricultural Transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

We review the literature on the distribution of farm sizes in sub-Saharan Africa, trends over time, drivers of change in farm structure, and effects on agricultural transformation and present new evidence for seven countries. While it is widely viewed that African agriculture is dominated by small-scale farms, we show that medium-scale farms of 5 to 100 hectares are a nontrivial—and rapidly expanding—force that is influencing the nature and pace of food systems transformation in Africa. The increased prevalence of medium-scale holdings is associated with farm labor productivity growth and underappreciated benefits to smallholder farmers. However, the rise of African investor farmers is also contributing to the commodification of land, escalating land prices, and restricted land access for most local people. A better understanding of these trends and linkages, which requires new data collection activities, could help resolve long-standing policy debates and support strategies that accelerate agricultural transformation.

Keyword(s): agricultural transformation, farm size distribution, farm-household surveys, JEL O13, JEL Q12, JEL Q15, JEL Q18, JEL Q24, JEL R14, land policy, medium-scale farms
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2022-10-05
2024-04-19
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/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-resource-111220-025657
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Changing Farm Size Distributions and Agricultural Transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa
Annual Review of Resource Economics 14, 109 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-resource-111220-025657
/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-resource-111220-025657
/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-resource-111220-025657
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