Changing Farm Structure and Rural Transformation in Africa

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The study discussed during this webinar presents evidence of profound farm-level transformation in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, identifies the key sources of dynamism in the sector, and proposes an updated typology of farms that reflects the evolving nature of African agriculture.

The rise of medium-scale farms is affecting the region in diverse ways that are difficult to generalize. Many such farms are a source of technical change and commercialization of African agriculture; they attract agribusiness investment and improve market access conditions for all nearby smallholders. However, medium-scale land acquisitions may exacerbate land scarcity in favorable rural areas, raise land prices, and crowd out young peoples’ access to land for farming.