1. Agriculture and Africa’s Economic Transformation
Agriculture Transformation: Tackling Poverty, Inequality and Environmental Degradation
Geoffrey Chongo
UNECA, Nairobi

2. Content Agricultural Transformation:
Tackling poverty
Inequality and
Environmental degradation
Is Agriculture transformation a route to reducing poverty, inequality and environmental degradation
How can government make agriculture more inclusive?
What examples from Zambia demonstrate how support for small holder agriculture promotes a mall equal distribution of income?

3. Introduction A country of potential
Few countries in Africa came into being with so much promise as Zambia;
Born with the copper spoon in its mouth
Other than copper industry, Agriculture offers significant potential for development
Plenty of arable land
A lot of water
Generally good weather

4. Zambia’s Economic Structure
It has largely remained the same:
Manufacturing sector
Agriculture sector
Service sector
Spatial movement

6. Is Agriculture transformation a route to reducing poverty, inequality and environmental degradation?
The Zambian economy has been growing in the last 10 to 15 years at an average annual growth rate of 6%
The drivers have been mainly mining, services, construction sector and lately agriculture
Poverty, unemployment and inequalities however remains high
Over 60% Zambians liver below poverty line

7. Is Agriculture transformation a route to reducing poverty, inequality and environmental degradation?
There is a need to strengthen the analysis of the poverty implications of growth in Zambia.
It is particularly pertinent since the experience from resource rich African countries is that incomes from natural resources tend to be distributed Inequitably
The great policy challenge for Zambia is thus to use the current opportunity to generate broad-based growth with effective poverty reduction as the result

8. Is Agriculture transformation a route to reducing poverty, inequality and environmental degradation?
Since the bulk of the poor in Zambia still are found in rural areas, it is of course vitally important to develop agriculture and other rural economic activities.
Development of agriculture is also important to bring about the structural change required for long-term growth
Agriculture has less environmental degradation impacts compared to mining
At the macro-economic level, growth in agriculture has been consistently shown to be more beneficial to the poor than growth in other sectors – green revolution

9. How can government make agriculture more inclusive?
Extend support beyond maize to other crops
Increase investment in extension services to small scale farmers to increase productivity
Improve rural infrastructure
Promote private sector participation

10. What examples from Zambia demonstrate how support for small holder agriculture promotes a more equal distribution of income?
Provision of farmers input support has contributed to increased maize production among small scale farmers in the last few years
Non intervention in the market of other crops such as soya beans and sunflower and the presence of private buyers has increased production of these crops