Summary results of five country studies in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda and South Africa

by Angela Dannson et al.

Agricultural Management, Marketing and Finance Service (AGSF) FAO Rome, 2004

Over the past decade, Africa and other developing regions have been in the midst of tremendous changes. Market liberalisation and governmental decentralisation policies have interfaced with globalisation and urbanisation trends to dramatically transform social, political, economic and cultural lives. Agriculture can no longer remain behind- serving only to meet subsistence food needs. Agriculture has to become a dynamic and integral part of the market economy. If African agriculture is by-passed by the economic transformation going on world wide, then large numbers of Africans and perhaps all of Africa will remain poor and food insecure.

The fundamental purpose behind the FAO initiative to strengthening farmagribusiness linkages is to help transform the agricultural sector in order to accelerate productivity growth, increase income and employment generation, improve food security, and increase competitiveness in regional and international trade.

In 2001 and 2002 five country case studies on farm-agribusiness linkages were undertaken in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda and South Africa. The main purpose of the studies was to get an insight into current farm-agribusiness linking arrangements. This included identifying and analysing successful linkages highlighting different methods and practices as well as exploring key factors that have led to successful partnerships. The country studies also contained a brief agribusiness sector overview.

Full paper available for download http://www.fao.org/AG/ags/programmes/en/agribusiness/op06_rottger.pdf [1]