The Political Economy of Agricultural Commercialisation in Africa

Factors that influence the strength and composition of coalitions in favour of and against policies that promote agricultural commercialisation

From:
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Published
12 February 2019
Country:
Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zimbabwe
Document Type:
Briefing
Theme:
Agriculture
Authors:
Chinsinga, B, Poulton, C

Abstract

This brief seeks to identify key factors that influence the strength and composition of coalitions in favour of and against policies that promote agricultural commercialisation, or that influence the commercialisation trajectory that unfolds within a country or sector. It also recognises the importance of ideas and interests in determining which policies are adopted and implemented. Specifically, the brief seeks to illustrate the influence of three sets of factors on agricultural commercialisation, and their interaction with one another. The three sets of factors are

  1. the relationships between politicians and rural citizens arising from the domestic political settlement;

  2. geographical factors;

  3. the influence of international actors.

This work is part of the APRA (Agricultural Policy Research Policy in Africa) Programme

Citation

Chinsinga, B. and Poulton, C., 2018. The Political Economy of Agricultural Commercialisation in Africa. APRA Brief 12, Future Agricultures Consortium

APRA Brief 12: The Political Economy of Agricultural Commercialisation in Africa

Published 12 February 2019
Contents