How small is beautiful? Farm size and economic development in Africa

Recent analyses provide a rather shocking picture of declining farm size in many of the most densely populated regions of Africa, resulting in median farm sizes less than 1 ha. Why is small farm size a problem? Small farms and poor yields due to declining soil fertility converge to form a double poverty trap. Boosting agricultural productivity on small farms is insufficient to ensure household food self-sufficiency, let alone provide a living income. Productivity increases generate insufficient capital to scale-up operations, and therefore do not provide an incentive for rural households to invest in their farming. Consequently, on-farm productivity growth remains limited, often resulting in increased household consumption, while failing to achieve food self-sufficiency at national level. In this chapter we explore the diversity of responses of rural households to land scarcity and farm size decline, and question what this means for the future of African food security. Our reflections lead us to question the value of the predominant model of economic development through structural transformation for Africa.