The Rise of Agricultural Growth Poles in Africa: Investment in Agriculture Policy Brief #6

This policy brief examines the rise of 36 agricultural growth poles and 9 corridors across 23 African countries, covering 3.5 million hectares. It argues that while these initiatives are intended to attract private investment and drive economic transformation, they require strong legal and policy frameworks to avoid the pitfalls of 'land grabs' and environmental degradation.

• Over the last 15 years, Africa has developed 36 agricultural growth poles and 9 corridors, which span at least 3.5 million hectares of land across 23 countries.
• African governments utilize growth poles and corridors to attract private investment for agricultural transformation and to mitigate the negative publicity and impacts associated with 'land grabs,' which involve leasing large areas of farmland to investors.
• While increased investment in agriculture can boost production, employment, and income, poor implementation can lead to the depletion of natural resources—including soil, water, and land—and undermine the livelihoods of small-scale farmers and existing inequalities.

APA

Smaller,, F. P. M. C. (2017). The Rise of Agricultural Growth Poles in Africa: Investment in Agriculture Policy Brief #6. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/brief/rise-agricultural-growth-poles-africa-investment-agriculture-policy-brief-6

Chicago

Smaller,, Francine Picard Mukazi,Mohamed Coulibaly,Carin. The Rise of Agricultural Growth Poles in Africa: Investment in Agriculture Policy Brief #6. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2017. https://www.iisd.org/publications/brief/rise-agricultural-growth-poles-africa-investment-agriculture-policy-brief-6.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Smaller, |first1=Francine Picard Mukazi,Mohamed Coulibaly,Carin |title=The Rise of Agricultural Growth Poles in Africa: Investment in Agriculture Policy Brief #6 |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=27 September 2017 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/brief/rise-agricultural-growth-poles-africa-investment-agriculture-policy-brief-6 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{smaller2017rise, author = {Smaller,, Francine Picard Mukazi,Mohamed Coulibaly,Carin}, title = {{The Rise of Agricultural Growth Poles in Africa: Investment in Agriculture Policy Brief \#6}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2017}, month = sep, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/brief/rise-agricultural-growth-poles-africa-investment-agriculture-policy-brief-6}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }