The publication presents updated and new analyses of land, labor, and total productivity trends in African agriculture. It brings together analyses of a unique mix of data sources and evaluations of public policies and development projects to recommend ways to increase agricultural productivity in Africa.
The good news is that agricultural productivity in Africa increased at a moderate rate between 1961 and 2012, although there are variations in the rate of growth in land, labor, and total factor productivities depending on country and region. Differences in input use and capital intensities in agricultural production in the various farming systems and agricultural productivity zones also affect advancements in technology.How can Africa further raise labor productivity to reduce mass poverty? Can increasing land productivity (yields) make a difference in averting future food crisis? How does Africa effectively take full advantage of regional and subregional alliances that promote and disseminate appropriate technologies capable of reversing the declining growth in land productivity, sustain or strengthen the recent rapid growth in labor productivity, and expand the technological frontier on an ongoing basis? Find the answers in the book...