that require large investments to achieve economies of scale. For example, sugarcane
production in Malawi and Swaziland is concentrated in just two relatively small
areas in each country; Nchalo and Dwangwa in Malawi (Chinangwa et al. 2017), and
Big Bend and Northern Lowveld in Swaziland (Terry and Ogg 2017). Conversely,
industrial crops geared mainly towards smallholders (e.g. coffee, cocoa, cotton,
tobacco) tend to be produced in wider areas that offer conducive agro-ecological
conditions. For example, tobacco in Malawi is mainly produced in the Central,
Northern and Southern regions (Chinangwa et al. 2017). In Ethiopia, coffee is
produced in many parts of the country, and mainly in the southern regions of
Sidamo, Harrar, Ghimbi and Limu (Moat et al. 2017). Cotton is grown in most
regions of Burkina Faso (except for the arid north regions), with the eastern cotton
zone of Bobo-Dioulasso accounting for most of cotton output (Boafo et al. 2018).
Cocoa production spans large parts of Ghana and especially southern Ghana. This
concentration of industrial crop production can have more pronounced and easily
tracked outcomes on local food security (rather than national food security), as
discussed throughout this paper (see list of mechanisms in Sect. 3.3.2).
Below we unpack industrial crop production patterns, drivers and policies for
some of the main producing countries in SSA, namely Kenya (Sect. 3.1.2.2),
Ethiopia (Sect. 3.1.2.3), Malawi (Sect. 3.1.2.4), Burkina Faso (Sect. 3.1.2.5),
Ghana (Sect. 3.1.2.6) and Swaziland (Sect. 3.1.2.7).
Kenya
Sugarcane is the major industrial crop produced in Kenya in terms of output
followed by tea and coffee (FAOSTAT 2019). The sugar industry supports an
estimated two million Kenyans and contributes about USD 540 million to the
national GDP (FAOSTAT 2019), with smallholder farmers supplying more than
92% of the sugarcane processed by the domestic sugar mills (KSI 2009; KSB 2010).
Sugarcane output increased rapidly between the early 1960s to the early 1980s (from
570,000 tons to 4.5 million tons) (FAOSTAT 2019). For the next 15 years, the
sugarcane output oscillated around this level, but then experienced a rapid increase
from 4.7 million tons in 2004 to 7.2 million tonnes in 2016 (FAOSTAT 2019).
However, the sugarcane output experienced a rapid decline falling to 4.8 million
tonnes in 2017 (33.3% decline) (FAOSTAT 2019). This drastic production reduction
causes the sharp decline in the value of marketed sugarcane, from USD 234 million
in 2016 to USD 195 million in 2017 (17% decline) (GoK 2018). This decline
sugarcane output has been linked to multiple interconnected challenges related to
low yields such as the (a) widespread use of low-quality sugarcane varieties;
(b) shortage of irrigation water; (c) poor agricultural and land management practices
and (d) delayed harvesting of mature sugarcane due to weather variability and/or
logistical constraints (Mulwa et al. 2005; Mulianga et al. 2015; Onyango et al. 2012;
Lindell and Kroon 2011; Hess et al. 2016). The Kenyan sugar industry has also faced
critical challenges related to the (a) trade liberalization under the COMESA and
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M. P. Jarzebski et al.
production in Malawi and Swaziland is concentrated in just two relatively small
areas in each country; Nchalo and Dwangwa in Malawi (Chinangwa et al. 2017), and
Big Bend and Northern Lowveld in Swaziland (Terry and Ogg 2017). Conversely,
industrial crops geared mainly towards smallholders (e.g. coffee, cocoa, cotton,
tobacco) tend to be produced in wider areas that offer conducive agro-ecological
conditions. For example, tobacco in Malawi is mainly produced in the Central,
Northern and Southern regions (Chinangwa et al. 2017). In Ethiopia, coffee is
produced in many parts of the country, and mainly in the southern regions of
Sidamo, Harrar, Ghimbi and Limu (Moat et al. 2017). Cotton is grown in most
regions of Burkina Faso (except for the arid north regions), with the eastern cotton
zone of Bobo-Dioulasso accounting for most of cotton output (Boafo et al. 2018).
Cocoa production spans large parts of Ghana and especially southern Ghana. This
concentration of industrial crop production can have more pronounced and easily
tracked outcomes on local food security (rather than national food security), as
discussed throughout this paper (see list of mechanisms in Sect. 3.3.2).
Below we unpack industrial crop production patterns, drivers and policies for
some of the main producing countries in SSA, namely Kenya (Sect. 3.1.2.2),
Ethiopia (Sect. 3.1.2.3), Malawi (Sect. 3.1.2.4), Burkina Faso (Sect. 3.1.2.5),
Ghana (Sect. 3.1.2.6) and Swaziland (Sect. 3.1.2.7).
Kenya
Sugarcane is the major industrial crop produced in Kenya in terms of output
followed by tea and coffee (FAOSTAT 2019). The sugar industry supports an
estimated two million Kenyans and contributes about USD 540 million to the
national GDP (FAOSTAT 2019), with smallholder farmers supplying more than
92% of the sugarcane processed by the domestic sugar mills (KSI 2009; KSB 2010).
Sugarcane output increased rapidly between the early 1960s to the early 1980s (from
570,000 tons to 4.5 million tons) (FAOSTAT 2019). For the next 15 years, the
sugarcane output oscillated around this level, but then experienced a rapid increase
from 4.7 million tons in 2004 to 7.2 million tonnes in 2016 (FAOSTAT 2019).
However, the sugarcane output experienced a rapid decline falling to 4.8 million
tonnes in 2017 (33.3% decline) (FAOSTAT 2019). This drastic production reduction
causes the sharp decline in the value of marketed sugarcane, from USD 234 million
in 2016 to USD 195 million in 2017 (17% decline) (GoK 2018). This decline
sugarcane output has been linked to multiple interconnected challenges related to
low yields such as the (a) widespread use of low-quality sugarcane varieties;
(b) shortage of irrigation water; (c) poor agricultural and land management practices
and (d) delayed harvesting of mature sugarcane due to weather variability and/or
logistical constraints (Mulwa et al. 2005; Mulianga et al. 2015; Onyango et al. 2012;
Lindell and Kroon 2011; Hess et al. 2016). The Kenyan sugar industry has also faced
critical challenges related to the (a) trade liberalization under the COMESA and
98
M. P. Jarzebski et al.