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Africa’s Changing Farmland Ownership: Causes and Consequences

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  • Jayne, T.S.
  • Chamberlin, Jordan
  • Traub, Lulama
  • Sitko, N.
  • Muyanga, Milu
  • Yeboah, Kwame
  • Nkonde, Chewe
  • Anseeuw, Ward
  • Chapoto, A.
  • Kachule, Richard

Abstract

Sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing major changes in farm land ownership and use, which are both cause and consequence of the economic transformations that the region is now experiencing. The rapid rise of emergent investor farms in the 5 to 100 hectare category represents a revolutionary change in Africa’s farm structure since 2000. The rise of investor farmers is affecting the region in diverse ways that are difficult to generalize. In some areas, investor farms are a source of dynamism, technical change and commercialization of African agriculture. In densely populated areas, however, investor farms may be displacing the potential for agricultural land expansion of small-scale farming communities.

Suggested Citation

  • Jayne, T.S. & Chamberlin, Jordan & Traub, Lulama & Sitko, N. & Muyanga, Milu & Yeboah, Kwame & Nkonde, Chewe & Anseeuw, Ward & Chapoto, A. & Kachule, Richard, 2015. "Africa’s Changing Farmland Ownership: Causes and Consequences," Miscellaneous Publications 208576, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:midamp:208576
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.208576
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    Keywords

    Agricultural and Food Policy; Food Security and Poverty; Land Economics/Use;
    All these keywords.

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