L’émergence des Pôles de Croissance Agricoles en Afrique

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the emergence of agricultural growth poles (agropoles) and corridors in Africa. It describes these as coordinated investments in infrastructure and industry designed to transition African agriculture from subsistence to commercial systems. The document outlines the operational challenges facing these projects, the necessity of robust legal frameworks to avoid creating 'enclaves', and a three-step model (vision, design, and implementation) for ensuring responsible and sustainable development.

• Over the last 15 years, Africa has seen the emergence of 36 agricultural growth poles and 9 agricultural corridors, covering at least 3.5 million hectares across 23 countries.
• Agricultural growth poles, or agropoles, are coordinated investments across multiple sectors intended to support autonomous industrialization. They typically combine public and private investment and are centered around existing resources in specific locations to foster dynamic industry groups.
• Several agropoles have faced significant operational delays and failures. In Morocco, the plan for six agropoles was delayed by five years, with only two operational; the Meknès project has only 21 percent of its area occupied. In Senegal, the Mpal agropole took over 10 years to start and still requires investment to become operational.
• Cameroon has implemented a 'second generation agriculture' program focusing on small-scale private investment projects rather than large foreign-led land developments. As of May 2017, 40 small projects were created, though results are mixed due to a lack of investment in market access and distribution channels.
• There is a risk that special regulations for agropoles may create 'enclaves' where investors are exempt from national legislation. The document warns against 'stabilization clauses' that freeze national laws at the time of contract signing, as these can prevent governments from applying new laws or require compensation for cost increases.
• International organizations, including the IMF, World Bank, OECD, and UNIDO, agree that tax holidays and income tax exemptions in low-income countries are ineffective. Such incentives often fail to increase investment flows and may discourage investors concerned about corruption while reducing government revenue for public investment.
• The development of responsible agropoles requires a three-stage process: Vision (identifying investment needs and mapping land/water users), Design (conducting feasibility studies and environmental/social impact assessments), and Implementation (allocating resources for monitoring and law enforcement).

APA

Picard, F., Coulibaly, M., & Smaller, C. (2017). L’émergence des Pôles de Croissance Agricoles en Afrique. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/rise-agricultural-growth-poles-in-africa-fr.pdf

Chicago

Picard, Francine, Mohamed Coulibaly, and Carin Smaller. L’émergence des Pôles de Croissance Agricoles en Afrique. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2017. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/rise-agricultural-growth-poles-in-africa-fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Picard |first1=Francine |last2=Coulibaly |first2=Mohamed |last3=Smaller |first3=Carin |title=L’émergence des Pôles de Croissance Agricoles en Afrique |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=1 September 2017 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/rise-agricultural-growth-poles-in-africa-fr.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{picard2017lmergence, author = {Picard, Francine and Coulibaly, Mohamed and Smaller, Carin}, title = {{L’émergence des Pôles de Croissance Agricoles en Afrique}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2017}, month = sep, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/rise-agricultural-growth-poles-in-africa-fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }