A presentation by Dr. Samuel Benin, Deputy Division Director, IFPRI Africa Regional Office, at the 16th Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Partnership Platform (PP)

1. Africa Agriculture Transformation Policy Drivers
5 or 6 types of agricultural transformation
taking place in Africa, based on initial
values (2003) and growth rates (2003-
2018) of:
 Agriculture employment share (agEMPsh)
 Agriculture GDP share (agGDPsh)
 Agriculture labor productivity (agGDPwk)
 Expected growth rate or change (∆tx):
 ∆tagEMPsh<0, ∆tagGDPsh<0,
∆tagGDPwk>0
Ag transformation policy drivers (BR indicators):
 Institutions: planning & implementation (1.1, 1.3,
7.1), inclusion (1.2), food safety laws (3.6i), risk
management (6.2), mutual accountability (7.2)
 Technologies and knowledge: investment in ag—
general (2.1i, 2.1ii), R&D (3.1v) & food safety (3.6i),
quality of technologies (3.1iii)
 Human capital: social protection (3.4), building
resilience (6.2)
 Infrastructure: food safety response (3.6i),
physical & ICT (5.2i, 6.2)
 Markets and trade: food safety standards (3.6i),
cross-border & trade agreements (5.2i)
Group 2—
 Initial high agEMPsh &
agGDPsh
 ∆tagGDPwk ≤ 0
 Recent non-ag income
sources  ag neglected
 Upside: resources to finance
R&D, rural infrastructure,
human capital, etc.
Group 3—
 Initial high agEMPsh &
agGDPsh
 ∆tagGDPsh ≥ 0
 Ag will continue to dominate
 Improve non-farm rural
economy to absorb excess ag
labor (non-farm jobs, human
capital, rural infrastructure)
Group 4—
 Initial high agEMPsh & agGDPsh
 ∆tx in right direction
 Larger ag-favorable (NGA, COD,
etc.): access to markets, jobs
 Smaller ag-favorable (MWI, RWA,
etc.): R&D vs. input subsidies
 More vulnerable (ETH, NER, etc.):
CSTs, social protection
Group 5—
 UMI countries with initial
low agEMPsh & agGDPsh
 ∆tx in right direction
 Lower progress in quality
of technologies
 Improve inputs standards
and regulations
Group 1—
 Initial high agEMPsh & low
agGDPsh
 ∆tagEMPsh≥0, ∆tagGDPsh≥0
 Non-ag income sources
 Least progress in all indicators
 Diversification into ag & non-
farm jobs for excess ag labor
 R&D, rural infrastructure,
human capital
Initial values
Low agEMPsh, low agGDPsh
High agEMPsh, low agGDPsh
High agEMPsh, high agGDPsh
∆t agEMPsh (%)
≥0
∆t agGDPsh (%)
≥0
∆t agGDPwk (%)
≤-3
-3< x ≤0
≥3
≥3
≥3