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Paper short abstract:

Agriculture is a critical driver of economic growth in Africa but faced with interconnected challenges of poor governance, inefficient agricultural systems which threaten food security and livelihoods. This must be discussed and address to find solutions that resonates with key stakeholders.

Paper long abstract:

Africa continues to heavily depend on agriculture for economic growth and survival. Agriculture is however threatened with the interrelated challenges of land disputes, poor governance and unstable macroeconomics indicators. It also challenged with poor skills, lack of enthusiasm of the youth and the use of outdated technology. It is also challenged with environmental degradation, disruption of biodiversity and natural resource depletion. Many farming communities are facing severe land contestations arising out of climate change, intense urbanization, population growth and lack of access to fertile lands. There is also the challenge of high input cost, limited market access and reduced purchasing due to high inflation, currency instability and trade irregularities. Interestingly many countries in Africa have failed to establish efficient land policies and sustainable farming methods to address these challenges agriculture face.

Using a multiple case study approach, the study focused on three countries in Africa, specifically Ghana, Zambia and Kenya and used both quantitative and qualitative methods to assess the nexus between their governance systems, agriculture systems and macroeconomic indicators; and their ability to improve the agricultural resilience, income generation and food security. The study presents the multifaceted challenges of these countries on food security and agricultural development and highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to address the intricate interactions between the variables causing food insecurity in Africa.