Agriculture: Future Scenarios for Southern Africa - Food Production in Mozambique and Rising Global Food Prices

This briefing examines the factors contributing to high food prices and food insecurity in Mozambique, highlighting how underinvestment in agriculture and land tenure issues hinder the country's significant production potential.

• Mozambique possesses substantial agricultural and irrigation potential that remains largely untapped; only 12.5% of its 36 million hectares of agricultural land is currently in use, and only about 50,000 hectares of its 3.3 million hectares of irrigation potential are under irrigation, primarily for sugarcane.
• Agricultural production has been undermined by a lack of public investment and the failure of a transition to private sector-led input marketing following a Structural Adjustment Program, as small farm holders were unable to afford necessary inputs.
• The current land regime in Mozambique discourages investment and partnerships because it is costly, cumbersome, non-transparent, and prone to corruption.
• To improve long-term food security, the government has implemented a Green revolution strategy involving the creation of strategic reserve silos and the reduction of import tariffs on major staples such as rice and wheat.

APA

Biacuana,, G. (2009). Agriculture: Future Scenarios for Southern Africa - Food Production in Mozambique and Rising Global Food Prices. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/agriculture-future-scenarios-southern-africa-food-production-mozambique-and

Chicago

Biacuana,, Gilberto. Agriculture: Future Scenarios for Southern Africa - Food Production in Mozambique and Rising Global Food Prices. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2009. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/agriculture-future-scenarios-southern-africa-food-production-mozambique-and.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Biacuana, |first1=Gilberto |title=Agriculture: Future Scenarios for Southern Africa - Food Production in Mozambique and Rising Global Food Prices |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=13 March 2009 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/agriculture-future-scenarios-southern-africa-food-production-mozambique-and |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{biacuana2009agriculture, author = {Biacuana,, Gilberto}, title = {{Agriculture: Future Scenarios for Southern Africa - Food Production in Mozambique and Rising Global Food Prices}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2009}, month = mar, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/agriculture-future-scenarios-southern-africa-food-production-mozambique-and}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }