Informations et ressources scientifiques
sur le développement des zones arides et semi-arides

Titre : Mapping the development of large-scale farming in 20th century Africa : Kenya, Malawi, South Africa and Zimbabwe compared

Pays/Région : Africa : Kenya, Malawi, South Africa and Zimbabwe

Date : 1 January 2015–31 December 2017

Identifiant : 2014-01509_VR

Présentation
The aim of this project is to develop the first longitudinal analysis of large-scale farming in 20th century Africa. Recently an increasing number of scholars have begun to argue that future agriculture development in Africa will depend on an expansion of large-scale production, a sector which previously was perceived as inefficient only surviving because of state subsidies and state sanctioned practices of exploiting local labour.

The problem is that we lack a solid empirical foundation of the development trajectories of large-scale farming in Africa ? past and present, which prevent us to empirical test hypotheses regarding the relative efficiency of large-scale farming in Africa. This project will fill this gap by creating time series that enable us to study structural change, employment generation, the role of the state and exploitation of labour. More specifically the project will create time series for performance, land use and wage shares for four strategically selected cases ; Kenya, Malawi, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The cases differ in terms of economic and political history. What they have in common is the existence of a large-farming sector that has played a significant role for the economies throughout the 20th century. Based on data from archival and government reports we will construct time series that will provide a solid foundation for an empirically grounded analysis of the legacy of large-scale farming in Africa.

Coordination : Lund University

Financement : Swedish Research Council
Budget : 4,524,000 kr

Swecris project database