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An Updated Look at the Recovery of Agricultural Productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa

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  • Nin Pratt, Alejandro
  • Yu, Bingxin

Abstract

We analyze the evolution of Sub-Saharan Africa’s agricultural total factor productivity (TFP) over the past 40 years, looking for evidence of recent changes in growth patterns using a nonparametric Malmquist index. Our TFP estimates show a remarkable recovery in the performance of Sub-Saharan Africa’s agriculture during between 1984 and 2003 after a long period of poor performance and decline. That recovery is the consequence of improved efficiency in production resulting from changes in the output structure and an adjustment in the use of inputs, including an overall net reduction in fertilizer use but increased fertilizer use in most of the best-performing countries. Policy changes implemented by African countries between the mid-1980s and the second half of the 1990s appear to have played an important role in improving agriculture’s performance. As TFP growth in Sub-Saharan Africa is mainly a result of catching up to the frontier, we expect growth to slow down in the coming years unless African countries accelerate the incorporation of innovations into the production process and increase agricultural R&D investment and the speed of technical change.

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Bibliographic Info

Paper provided by International Association of Agricultural Economists in its series 2009 Conference, August 16-22, 2009, Beijing, China with number 51731.

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Date of creation: 2009
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Handle: RePEc:ags:iaae09:51731

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Keywords: agriculture; total factor productivity; Sub-Saharan Africa; Agricultural and Food Policy; Productivity Analysis; D24; Q18;

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References

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Citations

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Cited by:
  1. Christiaensen,Luc & Demery,Lionel & Kuhl, Jesper, 2010. "The (Evolving) Role of Agriculture in Poverty Reduction: An Empirical Perspective," Working Papers UNU-WIDER Working Paper W, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
  2. Ulimwengu, John & Sanyal, Prabuddha, 2011. "Using a spatial growth model to provide evidence of agricultural spillovers between countries in the NEPAD CAADP Framework:," IFPRI discussion papers 1069, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
  3. Yu, Bingxin & Nin-Pratt, Alejandro, 2011. "Agricultural productivity and policies in Sub-Saharan Africa:," IFPRI discussion papers 1150, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
  4. Breisinger, Clemens & van Rheenen, Teunis & Ringler, Claudia & Nin Pratt, Alejandro & Minot, Nicholas & Aragon, Catherine & Yu, Bingxin & Ecker, Olivier & Zhu, Tingju, 2010. "Food security and economic development in the Middle East and North Africa," IFPRI discussion papers 985, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
  5. Nin-Pratt, Alejandro & Johnson, Michael E. & Yu, Bingxin, 2012. "Improved performance of agriculture in Africa South of the Sahara: Taking off or bouncing back?," IFPRI discussion papers 1224, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
  6. Badiane, Ousmane & Odjo, Sunday & Ulimwengu, John, 2011. "Emerging policies and partnerships under CAADP: Implications for long-term growth, food security, and poverty reduction," IFPRI discussion papers 1145, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
  7. Luc Christiaensen, 2010. "Revisiting the Global Food Architecture: Lessons from the 2008 Food Crisis," Working Papers id:3086, eSocialSciences.
  8. Swinnen, Jo & Vandeplas, Anneleen & Maertens, Miet, 2009. "Liberalization with endogenous institutions: a comparative analysis of agricultural reform in Africa, Asia and Europe," Open Access publications from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven urn:hdl:123456789/222233, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.
  9. Richard Grabowski, 2011. "The evolution of the state and taxation: role of agriculture," International Journal of Development Issues, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 10(3), pages 188-203, September.
  10. Ulimwengu, John M. & Badibanga, Thaddée, 2012. "The sophistication and diversification of the African agricultural sector: A product space approach," IFPRI discussion papers 1156, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
  11. Bumb, Balu L. & Johnson, Michael E. & Fuentes, Porfirio A., 2011. "Policy options for improving regional fertilizer markets in West Africa:," IFPRI discussion papers 1084, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
  12. Steven Block, 2010. "The Decline and Rise of Agricultural Productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa Since 1961," NBER Working Papers 16481, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  13. Mugera, Amin W. & Ojede, Andrew, 2011. "Agricultural Productivity Growth in Africa: Is Efficiency Catching-up or Lagging Behind?," 2011 Conference (55th), February 8-11, 2011, Melbourne, Australia 100687, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.
  14. Boubacar, Inoussa, 2010. "Agricultural Productivity, Drought, and Economic Growth in Sahel," 2010 Annual Meeting, February 6-9, 2010, Orlando, Florida 56321, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.

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