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

The document identifies a significant gap between Mozambique's agricultural potential and its actual production, attributed to a lack of public investment following Structural Adjustment Programs and a restrictive land ownership regime. While the government has introduced a Green Revolution strategy involving tariff reductions and strategic reserves, the briefing argues that private sector investment is essential, requiring improvements in infrastructure, credit markets, and land tenure transparency.

• Mozambique possesses vast untapped agricultural and irrigation potential, with only 12.5% of its 36 million hectares of agricultural land and a small fraction of its 3.3 million hectares of irrigation potential currently utilized.
• Agricultural production failed to increase after Structural Adjustment Programs shifted input marketing to the private sector, as small-scale farmers were unable to afford the necessary inputs.
• The current land regime hinders investment due to high costs, lack of transparency, corruption, and a structure that does not encourage partnerships.
• The government's Green Revolution strategy aims to enhance long-term food security through the creation of strategic reserve silos and the reduction of import tariffs on 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} }