The Agricultural Blind Spot: Why Africa Overlooks Its Farming Potential

In addition to contributing heavily to the Continent’s GDP, the potential worth of agriculture and agribusiness in Africa is estimated to rise to around $1trillion by 2030. Agriculture has the potential to serve as the catalyst for job creation, rural development, and poverty reduction in Africa.

The continent currently boosts of a substantial portion (40 – 60%) of the world’s remaining arable lands. The potentials of agriculture for the continent are very vast. Why then is Africa not taking agriculture as seriously as we should? There are several factors hindering the development of agriculture in Africa. I have identified six (6) below:

Negative stereotypes about farming: Farming is mostly seen as a low-status career compared to professions such as medicine, engineering, law, architecture, banking, teaching, etc. Farmers are usually considered uneducated and unintelligent, and are graded with low social ratings. This makes farming unappealing to many young people who desire to be associated with class and prestige. This same negative stigma influences a lot of African parents to discourage their children from pursuing careers in agriculture, urging them to rather seek “respectable” white-collar jobs. Sadly, this negative perceptions about agriculture is passed down from generation to generation.

I remember some years back, I visited a friend and met his girlfriend with him. In the course of our conversation, I simply introduced myself to her as a farmer. The following morning, when my friend called, he mentioned his girlfriend was enquiring from him why a “fresh and intelligent guy like me would choose to become a farmer.” Of course, I laughed so hard, but from that day, I kept wondering, how many people still have this lady’s mindset and how many of the young people who genuinely wish to pursue farming as a career would have the mental fortitude to handle such negative and undermining comments and attitude from society?

In a typical African setting, farming is synonymous to poverty. We believe agriculture does not offer the financial rewards as other careers. Society regards farmers as inferior and poor. Farming, thus, seem like an unwise career choice to many youth who desire comfortable and luxurious lifestyles. Farming is also linked with rural communities, which mostly lack amenities and opportunities. Young people are mostly drawn to the perceived pleasures and prosperity of urban areas. They would rather move to the cities in search of unavailable or underpaying jobs and a modern lifestyle than to remain in the rural areas as farmers.

Lack of exposure to modern farming: the perception of many Africans about agriculture is shaped by their outdated knowledge of the subsistence farming that is largely practised here rather than the realities and opportunities of commercial farming. The youth have little to no direct exposure to modern commercial farming and are ignorant about the many technological advancements the sector has undergone. They lack exposure to the “sexiness” of modern agriculture and the classiness of a typical present day farmer.

The farmers an average African is exposed to daily are peasants, wretched and poor. We hardly come across rich farmers, and it is near impossible to see modernised commercial farms in our communities. This further deepens the already deep-rooted belief that farming is not as lucrative, classy and prestigious as the white-collar professions. In effect, the youth do not wish to get involved in a career path that will not only make the larger society look down on them but equally has a “higher probability” of making them comparatively poorer than their peers who have chosen the more esteemed white-collar jobs.

Inadequate training or capacity training opportunities: most peasant and smallholder farmers, who dominate the farming class in Africa, continue to practise traditional farming methods passed on to them by their forebears. These methods are less efficient and productive compared to the modern techniques practised in the developed regions. Modern farming relies heavily on best practises, market trends, weather patterns, farm and financial management skills, resource allocation, soil testing, seed varieties, irrigation, crop monitoring, mechanisation, and technology.

Due to inadequate awareness, training and capacity building, smallholder farmers are unable to adopt and effectively use these skills and technologies which are crucial to enhance their productivity and profitability. In effect, they do not get the best return on their labour and investments. This goes on to deepen their poverty, becoming a wrong example to the youth. More so, as farmers continue to rely heavily on traditional methods instead of modern practices, technology and skills, the overall agricultural output of the continent remains significantly low compared to its potential.

Limited access to capital: The green revolution has not only lagged in Africa due to limited access to modern agricultural technologies and skills, but largely due to lack of access to suitable financial support. Access to the financial market in Africa is comparatively very expensive due to high interest rates and inflexible lending terms.

While smallholder farmers often lack the required collateral to access loans for basic inputs like seeds and fertilisers, commercial farmers lack access to financing for advanced technologies and cross-border trades. The wannabe farmers do not have any leverage to access credit facilities and are forced to either start small or defer their dreams until they are able to raise enough capital, mostly from their personal savings or from families and friends.

Lack of capital hinders investments into agricultural research and expansion, and the development of infrastructures like irrigation systems, storage facilities and road networks. It also prevent farmers from investing in modern machineries, equipment, and technologies, which are crucial for increasing efficiency and productivity. Lack of capital access, in effect, continues to greatly hinder the development of agriculture in Africa.

Unfavourable Policies and Land Tenure Systems: some governmental policies also contribute negatively to the development of agriculture on the continent. High taxes on agricultural inputs and unfair policies in some countries that tax agricultural exports and strangely subsidise imports. This greatly reduces profitability for farmers, discouraging reinvestment and innovation. In some instances, poorly targeted subsidies often benefit large scale and more established farmers rather than smallholders farmers who need the most support.

Most governmental intervention policies or projects are politically driven and typically never meet their projected results because rather than tackling the root issues, they focus on the unimportant to score cheap political scores. Neglecting rural infrastructure development such as roads, storage facilities, irrigation systems, electricity expansion, etc. also impacts farming and agricultural development. Insecure land tenure systems discourage long-term investments in lands for agricultural purposes as farmers and investors are less likely to invest in a land they fear losing.

Weak Institutions and Political Instability: political instability and weak institutions have also created unfavourable investment climate that deters the much-needed investment from flowing into Africa’s agriculture, just like other sectors. For instance, for no fault of theirs, farmers along the Volta Lake had lost their investments, worth millions of Ghana Cedis, due to the recent Akosombo dam spillage – an institutional failure. The highly volatile political climate, coupled with the perceived weak Judiciary, keep sending wrong signals to investors.

Unlocking this potential
Unlocking Africa’s vast agriculture potential requires a comprehensive approach that should include building strong institutions, policy and land reforms, capacity building for farmers, capital injection, investment in farming infrastructure, and breaking negative stereotypes associated with agriculture.

It is important to change the negative narratives around agriculture and present it as a viable, lucrative and prestigious career path. Exposing the youth to mechanised and technologically driven commercial farms can as well lure them into the sector. Helping them interact with financially stable commercial farmers and promoting the success stories of young agripreneurs, highlighting the potential for innovation, technology and economic advancement can help shift their perceptions.

Improving training and capacity building opportunities would empower farmers with the modern skills and knowledge needed to enhance their overall agricultural output. Targeted career guidance and skills training programs would equip young Africans with the knowledge and tools to thrive in the agricultural sector. Education and vocational training policies for agribusiness development in schools can result in skilled labour and knowledge transfer, which is crucial for modernising agriculture.

Substantial public investment in agricultural research, extension, infrastructure, and institutions would help create a more enabling environment for private investment in the sector. Improving access to finance for both small and commercial farmers must be pursued. Attaining favourable land tenure systems, building stable political climate and a robust judiciary would significantly boost investor confidence. The future is agriculture and I believe the time for Africa to take advantage and harness the full potential the sector offers is NOW!!

There is a Hero in you; unleash it!!
Elorm Hermann,
[email protected]