Accelerating Africa's food production in response to rising food prices: Impacts and requisite actions

In Africa the global food crisis threatens the livelihoods of millions of people who because of high rates of poverty, hunger, malnutrition, and food dependency are already exceptionally vulnerable. In better circumstances, Africa's agricultural sector would respond to rising prices by increasing fo...

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Main Authors: Diao, Xinshen, Fan, Shenggen, Headey, Derek D., Johnson, Michael E., Nin-Pratt, Alejandro, Yu, Bingxin
Format: Artículo preliminar
Language:Inglés
Published: International Food Policy Research Institute 2008
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/161360
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author Diao, Xinshen
Fan, Shenggen
Headey, Derek D.
Johnson, Michael E.
Nin-Pratt, Alejandro
Yu, Bingxin
author_browse Diao, Xinshen
Fan, Shenggen
Headey, Derek D.
Johnson, Michael E.
Nin-Pratt, Alejandro
Yu, Bingxin
author_facet Diao, Xinshen
Fan, Shenggen
Headey, Derek D.
Johnson, Michael E.
Nin-Pratt, Alejandro
Yu, Bingxin
author_sort Diao, Xinshen
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description In Africa the global food crisis threatens the livelihoods of millions of people who because of high rates of poverty, hunger, malnutrition, and food dependency are already exceptionally vulnerable. In better circumstances, Africa's agricultural sector would respond to rising prices by increasing food supply. But such a response is impossible without significant new policy actions on both the production and marketing of African agriculture. This paper assesses the likely impacts of two strategic policy options: doubling African staples production, and improving "market access" through regional integration and lowering transaction costs. Using an economywide multimarket model for 17 African economies and econometrically estimated parameters describing the relationships between growth and poverty and between public spending and growth, we assess the impacts of these two strategic options on Africa's food markets and its broader economic development. Doubling staples production significantly increases food security, reduces consumer food prices by roughly 25 percent, reduces producer prices by 10 percent (thus raising farm revenue), accelerates agricultural growth rates, facilitates broader economic growth through new agroprocessing and export opportunities, and lifts more than 100 million Africans out of poverty. Key policy actions are needed to move from this strategic vision to implementation. The first set of actions requires investing $38 billion from 2009 to 2013, or $7.5 billion per year, in a well-designed package of modern agricultural inputs and provisions. The second requires improving and extending transport infrastructure, especially major transport corridors and rural feeder roads. The third requires reducing tra*de barriers, which still remain much higher in agriculture than in other sectors. All of these actions are technically and financially feasible, but their timely implementation requires urgent initiatives by both national and international policymakers.--Authors' Abstract
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spelling CGSpace1613602025-11-06T06:27:22Z Accelerating Africa's food production in response to rising food prices: Impacts and requisite actions Diao, Xinshen Fan, Shenggen Headey, Derek D. Johnson, Michael E. Nin-Pratt, Alejandro Yu, Bingxin food prices green revolution staple foods productivity market access infrastructure econometric models In Africa the global food crisis threatens the livelihoods of millions of people who because of high rates of poverty, hunger, malnutrition, and food dependency are already exceptionally vulnerable. In better circumstances, Africa's agricultural sector would respond to rising prices by increasing food supply. But such a response is impossible without significant new policy actions on both the production and marketing of African agriculture. This paper assesses the likely impacts of two strategic policy options: doubling African staples production, and improving "market access" through regional integration and lowering transaction costs. Using an economywide multimarket model for 17 African economies and econometrically estimated parameters describing the relationships between growth and poverty and between public spending and growth, we assess the impacts of these two strategic options on Africa's food markets and its broader economic development. Doubling staples production significantly increases food security, reduces consumer food prices by roughly 25 percent, reduces producer prices by 10 percent (thus raising farm revenue), accelerates agricultural growth rates, facilitates broader economic growth through new agroprocessing and export opportunities, and lifts more than 100 million Africans out of poverty. Key policy actions are needed to move from this strategic vision to implementation. The first set of actions requires investing $38 billion from 2009 to 2013, or $7.5 billion per year, in a well-designed package of modern agricultural inputs and provisions. The second requires improving and extending transport infrastructure, especially major transport corridors and rural feeder roads. The third requires reducing tra*de barriers, which still remain much higher in agriculture than in other sectors. All of these actions are technically and financially feasible, but their timely implementation requires urgent initiatives by both national and international policymakers.--Authors' Abstract 2008 2024-11-21T09:55:10Z 2024-11-21T09:55:10Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/161360 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Diao, Xinshen; Fan, Shenggen; Headey, Derek D.; Johnson, Michael; Nin-Pratt, Alejandro; Yu, Bingxin. 2008. Accelerating Africa's food production in response to rising food prices: Impacts and requisite actions. IFPRI Discussion Paper 825. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/161360
spellingShingle food prices
green revolution
staple foods
productivity
market access
infrastructure
econometric models
Diao, Xinshen
Fan, Shenggen
Headey, Derek D.
Johnson, Michael E.
Nin-Pratt, Alejandro
Yu, Bingxin
Accelerating Africa's food production in response to rising food prices: Impacts and requisite actions
title Accelerating Africa's food production in response to rising food prices: Impacts and requisite actions
title_full Accelerating Africa's food production in response to rising food prices: Impacts and requisite actions
title_fullStr Accelerating Africa's food production in response to rising food prices: Impacts and requisite actions
title_full_unstemmed Accelerating Africa's food production in response to rising food prices: Impacts and requisite actions
title_short Accelerating Africa's food production in response to rising food prices: Impacts and requisite actions
title_sort accelerating africa s food production in response to rising food prices impacts and requisite actions
topic food prices
green revolution
staple foods
productivity
market access
infrastructure
econometric models
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/161360
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