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

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the emergence of agricultural growth poles (agropoles) and corridors in Africa. It analyzes these tools as strategies to attract private investment and transition from subsistence to commercial agriculture, while highlighting the legal, financial, and operational risks associated with their implementation.

• Over the last 15 years, Africa has seen the establishment of 36 agricultural growth poles and 9 corridors, spanning at least 3.5 million hectares across 23 countries. Recent activity includes the creation of over a dozen agropoles in Cameroon (2013), Democratic Republic of Congo (2014), Gabon (2016), and Ivory Coast (2016).
• Agricultural growth poles are coordinated investments across multiple sectors designed to support industrialization by focusing on dynamic industries connected to a specific existing resource. They are used by governments to attract private investment and move from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture, partly to avoid the negative reputation of "land grabs" associated with leasing large tracts of land.
• Several agropoles have faced significant operational delays and constraints. In Morocco, the plan for six agropoles was delayed by five years, with only two operational; the Meknes project has only 21 per cent of its area occupied. Senegal's Mpal Agropole took over 10 years to start and remains non-operational. Other challenges include poor coordination, governance issues, and insufficient consideration of socio-historical contexts.
• Cameroon's "second generation agriculture" program focuses on small-scale domestic private sector projects rather than large foreign-led developments. As of May 2017, 40 small projects were established, but results have been mixed because the focus on increasing production was not matched by investments in distribution channels and market access.
• The document warns against the use of stabilization provisions in investment contracts, which freeze domestic laws at the time of signing and can exempt investors from future legal amendments. It also notes a consensus among the IMF, World Bank, OECD, and UNIDO that tax holidays and income tax exemptions in low-income countries are ineffective, as they do not increase investment and can undermine government revenue.
• The development of responsible agropoles requires a three-stage process: Vision (aligning with agricultural development plans and mapping land/water rights), Design (conducting feasibility studies, investor vetting, and Environmental and Social Impact Assessments), and Implementation (allocating resources for monitoring and enforcement).

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (n.d.). The Rise of Agricultural Growth Poles in Africa: Investment in Agriculture Policy Brief #6. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/rise-agricultural-growth-poles-in-africa.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. The Rise of Agricultural Growth Poles in Africa: Investment in Agriculture Policy Brief #6. n.d. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/rise-agricultural-growth-poles-in-africa.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=The Rise of Agricultural Growth Poles in Africa: Investment in Agriculture Policy Brief #6 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/rise-agricultural-growth-poles-in-africa.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopmentndrise, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{The Rise of Agricultural Growth Poles in Africa: Investment in Agriculture Policy Brief \#6}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/rise-agricultural-growth-poles-in-africa.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }