THE ROLE OF AGRICULTURE IN DEVELOPMENT

THE ROLE OF AGRICULTURE IN DEVELOPMENT

BY

RAHEEM SHEFIU

                                                          ABSTRACT

Agriculture is vital for the development goals of promoting growth and reducing poverty

in Africa  The role of agriculture as an instrument for industrialization had been rigorously conceptualized in the 1960s and 1970s under the classical paradigm of development economics. Agriculture supports the livelihoods of 80 percent of the African population, provides employment for about 60 percent of the economically active population, and for about 70 percent  of the poorest people on the continent. The global financial and food crises have brought agriculture into sharp focus, demonstrating that poverty and food insecurity go hand in hand.  After many implementation failures under import substitution industrialization policies and protracted neglect of agriculture under the policies of the Washington Consensus that followed the debt crisis, agriculture has gradually returned in the development agenda, especially with the food crisis. Agricultural growth is a proven driver of poverty reduction. When agriculture stimulates growth

in Africa, the growth is twice as effective in reducing poverty as growth based in other sectors.

In China, agriculture-based growth is 3.5 times more effective in reducing poverty than growth

based on other sectors. In Latin America, the effectiveness is 2.7 times. Agricultural growth

also means more production of food, and greater food security.

 

Keywords: Agriculture; Poverty Alleviation, Industrialization; Economic Growth, Development;