Promoting Commercial Smallholders Agriculture In sub-Saharan Africa And Its Challenges For Sub-Regional Development

Abstract

The focus of this paper is about how to promote the commercialization of smallholder agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and the constraints inherent in the context of regional development and poverty eradication. Thepaper therefore posits that commercial agriculture is a veritable tool for tackling development; mitigates food insecurity and poverty challenges as it affects the people of the sub-region. The methodsof this study involved analysis of documents and secondary data. To address the problem this study raised, the following questions were posed: to what extent is the SSA agriculture becoming a business? What are the driving forces to make smallholder agriculture a more market oriented and stimulating activities for specialise enterprises in agro-food business? How can the international and domestic private sector become the driver of the transformation? What are the governments of the SSA doing to promote such transformation towards commercialisation? The paper revealed that there are indications that agriculture in the sub-region has undergone extensive reforms and external liberalisation policies in the past four decades. However the reforms have failed to generate sufficient supply response that could provide the fundamentals and foundation for an astronomical expansion in agricultural productivity andits critical role as a main driver of growth and poverty eradication, and the ability to adapt to structural transformation as desired by international agro food markets. Critical to this process, the paper also examined the institutional and regulatory framework for achieving a transformed and competitive agricultural sector in the SSA. In addition the sub region is facing new challenges as a result of market transformations on global scale, technological advances, changes in food consumption patterns, the demand of private retail organisations and stricter quality and health/safety standards imposed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), European Union (EU) and the developed North importing countries.The paper concluded that these challenges can only be addressed through a change perspective that promote smallholders commercial agriculture productivity and expanded market opportunities at the international, regional and domestic levels. In addition adequate policies or regulations should be designed and activated with a view to supportingthe agricultural sector with private investments, appropriate technology and scientific expertise.