Overview

Why have so many approaches to farming and food policy failed in Sub-Saharan Africa? Because, argues William Moseley in this compelling analysis, of the shortcomings of a prevailing western, colonial agricultural science that is infused with power and politics. To tackle food security successfully, the book argues, we need a non-colonial, indigenous agronomy that creates the social innovation needed to support the livelihoods of small-scale farmers. The book is organized in four sections: Part 1 provides a broad conceptual introduction emphasizing political agronomy, political ecology and agroecology. Part 2 evaluates past food security and agricultural development experiences in four countries where Moseley has undertaken extensive field research over several decades: Mali, Burkina Faso, South Africa and Botswana. Part 3 examines successful efforts in each of these countries and outlines future directions that emphasize the application of ecological principles to agricultural systems. In Part 4, Moseley advocates building more resilient food systems and a different kind of development that supports agroecology, vibrant rurality and networks of smaller cities. Achieving this transformation will require institutional reform at the global level, of those multilateral and bilateral agencies involved with farming and food policy. Written for an academic and policy readership, as well those interested in international food security, the book is suitable for courses on food politics, agroecology and sustainable development.

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9781788215893

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Reviews

Hunger and food insecurity persist across Africa despite decades of international agricultural development assistance. Food crises post-Covid, including grain and fertilizer disruptions with the Ukraine war, pose renewed challenges to conventional agricultural development policies. From a scholar with decades-long expertise in African agricultural systems comes this powerful call for a different agricultural paradigm in Africa. Drawing upon case studies of grass roots efforts across the continent to build resilient food systems, Moseley advances a road map for eliminating hunger and malnutrition at the local level. By making a compelling case for agroecological farming, he aligns the food sovereignty movement with agroecology. The book presents a thoughtful, clear-eyed analysis of the structural issues behind food insecurity on the continent and the key ingredients needed for a meaningful transformation of African agriculture and food systems. Essential reading for anyone interested in global food futures. -- Judith A. Carney, Professor of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles Moseley draws on decades of research and policy experience to shed light not only on what is wrong with conventional approaches to agricultural development in Africa but also to bring forward stories of hope. Merging ecological, social, and political frameworks, the book’s excellent and highly engaging analysis maps out the required ingredients for an agroecological transformation in Africa. -- Jennifer Clapp, Canada Research Chair in Global Food Security and Sustainability, University of Waterloo

Hunger and food insecurity persist across Africa despite decades of international agricultural development assistance. Food crises post-Covid, including grain and fertilizer disruptions with the Ukraine war, pose renewed challenges to conventional agricultural development policies. From a scholar with decades-long expertise in African agricultural systems comes this powerful call for a different agricultural paradigm in Africa. Drawing upon case studies of grass roots efforts across the continent to build resilient food systems, Moseley advances a road map for eliminating hunger and malnutrition at the local level. By making a compelling case for agroecological farming, he aligns the food sovereignty movement with agroecology. The book presents a thoughtful, clear-eyed analysis of the structural issues behind food insecurity on the continent and the key ingredients needed for a meaningful transformation of African agriculture and food systems. Essential reading for anyone interested in global food futures. -- Judith A. Carney, Professor of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles Moseley draws on decades of research and policy experience to shed light not only on what is wrong with conventional approaches to agricultural development in Africa but also to bring forward stories of hope. Merging ecological, social, and political frameworks, the book’s excellent and highly engaging analysis maps out the required ingredients for an agroecological transformation in Africa. -- Jennifer Clapp, Canada Research Chair in Global Food Security and Sustainability, University of Waterloo Decolonizing African Agriculture is a worthy successor to Paul Richards’ classic Indigenous Agricultural Revolution. Based on decades of on-the-ground research, Moseley offers a radically alternative way of thinking about recurring food insecurity and its quick fixes. He expertly shows that even under the most constraining of circumstances, it is possible to achieve food security through agroecology. Here is a challenge to anyone who dares say that African Indigenous agroecology is backward, unproductive, and needs colonial science. This book could not come at a more propitious moment, when progress toward the global zero hunger goal has lurched into reverse. A tour de force.” -- Hanson Nyantakyi-Frimpong, Associate Professor of Geography, University of Denver

Hunger and food insecurity persist across Africa despite decades of international agricultural development assistance. Food crises post-Covid, including grain and fertilizer disruptions with the Ukraine war, pose renewed challenges to conventional agricultural development policies. From a scholar with decades-long expertise in African agricultural systems comes this powerful call for a different agricultural paradigm in Africa. Drawing upon case studies of grass roots efforts across the continent to build resilient food systems, Moseley advances a road map for eliminating hunger and malnutrition at the local level. By making a compelling case for agroecological farming, he aligns the food sovereignty movement with agroecology. The book presents a thoughtful, clear-eyed analysis of the structural issues behind food insecurity on the continent and the key ingredients needed for a meaningful transformation of African agriculture and food systems. Essential reading for anyone interested in global food futures. -- Judith A. Carney, Professor of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles

Author Information

William G. Moseley is DeWitt Wallace Professor of Geography, and Director of the Food, Agriculture and Society Program, at Macalester College, Saint Paul, Minnesota. He is the author of more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, as well as nine books, including most recently Africa’s Green Revolution: Critical Perspectives on New Agricultural Technologies and Systems (2016) and Land Reform in South Africa: An Uneven Transformation (2015). He currently serves as President Elect of the Mande Studies Association and sits on the scientific advisory panel to the United Nations’ Committee on World Food Security.

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