Agriculture, Autonomous Development, and Prospects for Industrialization in Africa

Erscheinungsjahr 2025
ISBN: 978-3-031-84991-6
Verlag: Springer Nature Switzerland

Buch, Englisch, 320 Seiten, Format (B × H): 160 mm x 241 mm, Gewicht: 742 g

The book is about the intersection of agriculture and development in Africa and how the intersection impacts on rural industrialisation prospects. It provides a comprehensive view of the position of agriculture in African socio-economic activities and the agricultural sector's potential as the source for continental development and industrialisation prospects. Significant research has been done on African development with a focus placed on the problematic role played by slavery, colonialism and later by incompetent African leaders who failed to steer development – of the type that delivers a progressive, sustained and sustainable transformation of lives and societies. There is limited focus on the possibility of agriculture being the potential basis of African development and the chance for industrialisation. This is a matter of concern, considering the dominance of agriculture as a livelihood and income source for many people on the continent.

In contributing to the debate on development in Africa, this book aims to show how agriculture can serve as the basis for African development and industrialisation. This will be achieved by (i) providing a detailed historical description of the position of agriculture in African socio-economic activities, (ii) outlining the trajectory of African development with a focus on agriculture, innovation, and mechanisation, (iii) identifying challenges to the development of African agriculture, (iv) exploring the opportunities for agricultural development in Africa, and (v) providing practical and policy recommendations to improve African agriculture and make it the engine for development and industrialisation.

Utilising a multidisciplinary approach which combines political economy, social policy, financial inclusion, and empowerment approaches, the book also shows how youth and women engagement, digitalisation, and the provision of support (by public and private actors) are some of the igniting factors that can jump-start agriculture as the engine of African development and industrialisation. Taken together with this conscious effort to promote a multi-disciplinary discussion, the book readily commends itself as compulsory reading for students, policymakers, and activists interested in emerging new directions in African development thinking and research.

Zielgruppe

Research

Autoren/Hrsg.

Ndhlovu, Emmanuel

Fachgebiete

• Naturwissenschaften Agrarwissenschaften Agrarwissenschaften
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Volkswirtschaftslehre Volkswirtschaftslehre Allgemein
• Geowissenschaften Umweltwissenschaften Nachhaltigkeit

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Chapter 1: Introduction: Historicising and Theorising Agriculture, Development, and Industrialisation in Africa.- Part I: Agricultural Development Trajectory In Africa.- Chapter 2: Agricultural Development, Innovation, and Mechanisation in Pre-Colonial Africa.- Chapter 3: Africa and The Colonial Encounter With Europe: Implications For Agricultural Development and Industrialisation.- Chapter 4: Early Post-Colonial Development and Industrialisation Trajectory In Africa.- Part II: Disrupted Recovery.- Chapter 5: The Advent of Structural Adjustments In Africa: Implications For Agricultural Development And Prospects For Industrialisation.- Chapter 6: Post-Structural Adjustment Cooperation In Africa: Prospects For Autonomous Development and Industrialisation.- Part III: Monopoly-Finance Capital And Opportunistic Partnerships.- Chapter 7: International Agri-Investments In Africa: Implications For Agricultural Development And Prospects For Rural Industrialisation.- Chapter 8: Sino-Africa Economic Partnerships, Peasant Livelihoods, And Development In Africa.- Chapter 9: Partnerships, Agricultural Development, and Prospects For Industrialisation In Rural Africa.- Part IV: Recovery Barriers Amidst Old Challenges.- Chapter 10: War and Conflict: Effect On African Agriculture and Agribusiness and Prospects For Industrialisation.- Chapter 11: Climate Change: Implications For Agricultural Development and Prospects For Industrialisation In Sub-Saharan Africa.- Part V: Building Recovery and Resilience.- Chapter 12: Agricultural Digitalisation and Prospects For Rural Industrialisation In Africa.- Chapter 13: Digitalisation In Sub-Saharan Africa: Opportunities and Challenges For Smallholder Farmers.- Chapter 14: Youths, Agricultural Development and Prospects For Industrialisation In Rural Africa.- Chapter 15: Financial Inclusion, Agricultural Development, and Prospects For Industrialisation In Africa.- Chapter 16: Women, Agricultural Development, and Prospects for Industrialisation In Africa.- Part VI: Conclusion and Policy Recommendations.- Chapter 17: Conclusion: Agriculture - Africa’s Engine For Development and Prospects For Industrialisation.

Über Autor(innen)

Emmanuel Ndhlovu is a Research Fellow within the College of Business and Economics at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. He holds a PhD (2021), MA (2017) (Cum Laude), and BA Honours (2013) degrees in Development Studies from the University of South Africa. He also holds a BA Honours in English studies (2008) from the University of Zimbabwe. His research interests cover a wide range of topics, including agrarian political economy, food systems, food security, land reform, agriculture and agribusiness, and social protection. Emmanuel has published over 50 book chapters and over 30 journal articles. He has also co-edited eight books.