Rethinking agricultural policy approaches

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted African food supply chains through reduced urban demand, export market collapses, and movement restrictions, though it also increased demand for local produce and accelerated the use of digital tools. While agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa grew modestly between 2000 and 2018, innovation is now being driven by urbanization and private sector technical assistance. The author recommends that governments shift from temporary subsidies toward long-term investments in rural infrastructure, health, education, and agricultural research, while establishing 'nerve centers' to analyze food chain data and resolve bottlenecks.

• The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted African agricultural actors through lower urban demand, steep declines in high-value export markets (such as flowers) in the Global North, movement restrictions affecting the transport of produce and inputs like fertilizer, and reduced air freight capacity to Europe.
• Some pandemic-related disruptions provided benefits, including increased farm labor due to school closures and urban workers returning to villages, as well as higher demand for locally grown food resulting from international supply chain interruptions and rice export bans.
• Agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa saw modest growth between 2000 and 2018, with average cereal yields per hectare increasing by 22%.
• Innovation in African agriculture is increasingly driven by urbanization, which creates demand for high-value items for the middle class, and by small businesses providing smallholder suppliers with credit, inputs, and technical assistance.
• To achieve a sustainable recovery, governments should invest in public goods—including roads, schools, health posts, and agricultural research—and establish 'nerve centers' consisting of analysts to collate and communicate food supply chain information to leaders.

APA

Wiggins, S. (2021). Rethinking agricultural policy approaches. African Center for Economic Transformation. https://acetforafrica.org/research-and-analysis/insights-ideas/commentary/rethinking-agricultural-policy-approaches/

Chicago

Wiggins, Steve. Rethinking agricultural policy approaches. African Center for Economic Transformation, 2021. https://acetforafrica.org/research-and-analysis/insights-ideas/commentary/rethinking-agricultural-policy-approaches/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Wiggins |first1=Steve |title=Rethinking agricultural policy approaches |publisher=African Center for Economic Transformation |date=26 August 2021 |url=https://acetforafrica.org/research-and-analysis/insights-ideas/commentary/rethinking-agricultural-policy-approaches/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wiggins2021rethinking, author = {Wiggins, Steve}, title = {{Rethinking agricultural policy approaches}}, institution = {African Center for Economic Transformation}, year = {2021}, month = aug, url = {https://acetforafrica.org/research-and-analysis/insights-ideas/commentary/rethinking-agricultural-policy-approaches/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }