3.5 Conclusions
This sought to unravel the food security outcomes of industrial crop production in
SSA. We reviewed the main production patterns, drivers and underlying policies in
some of the most important producing countries in the region and reviewed systematically the existing literature for 11 industrial crops and 25 impact mechanisms
across the four pillars of food security. The quantity of the current evidence varies
considerably between crops, with jatropha, cotton sugarcane and shea being the most
studied crops. Food access and availability are the only pillars of food security with
substantial evidence and consensus about the direction and magnitude of the impact
mechanisms. Much less literature exists for mechanisms related to food stability and
utilization.
Overall, the current literature landscape is fragmented with most studies considering a sub-set of crops, modes of production regions and/or impact mechanisms.
This is a major barrier for balanced policy and practice inferences at the interface of
industrial crops and food security. Future research should better conceptualize the
possible pathways through which industrial crop production can affect food security.
Empirical studies should, to the extent possible, use compatible methods to allow for
the better understanding of these mechanisms across SSA.
Policy and practice priorities should include to (a) safeguard the long-term
economic and employment benefits accruing from engagement in industrial crop
production; (b) enhance farm output (for both industrial and food crops) while
avoiding negative environmental impacts; (c) enhance female participation in industrial crop production, while reducing the negative effects of time diversion from
unpaid household care work.
Acknowledgements Authors acknowledge the financial support of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) for the Belmont Forum project FICESSA. Abubakari Ahmed and Alice
Karanja were supported by Monbukagakusho scholarships offered by the Japanese Ministry of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) through the Graduate Program in
Sustainability Science – Global Leadership Initiative (GPSS-GLI), at the University of Tokyo.
Linda Chinangwa acknowledges the support of the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Sciences
(JSPS), through JSPS KAKENHI Grant number JP15F15765.
References
ACB (2017) GM cotton push in Swaziland: next target for failed BT cotton. African Centre for
Biodiversity (ACB), Johannesburg
Acheampong E, Campion BB (2014) The effects of biofuel feedstock production on farmers’
livelihoods in Ghana: the case of Jatropha curcas. Sustain 6:4587–4607. https://doi.org/10.
3390/su6074587
Adams A-M, Abudulai I, Bashiru M (2016) The Shea industry and rural livelihoods among women
in the WA municipality. J Soc Sci Stud 3:40. https://doi.org/10.5296/jsss.v3i2.8706
3 Linking Industrial Crop Production and Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa:. . .
125
This sought to unravel the food security outcomes of industrial crop production in
SSA. We reviewed the main production patterns, drivers and underlying policies in
some of the most important producing countries in the region and reviewed systematically the existing literature for 11 industrial crops and 25 impact mechanisms
across the four pillars of food security. The quantity of the current evidence varies
considerably between crops, with jatropha, cotton sugarcane and shea being the most
studied crops. Food access and availability are the only pillars of food security with
substantial evidence and consensus about the direction and magnitude of the impact
mechanisms. Much less literature exists for mechanisms related to food stability and
utilization.
Overall, the current literature landscape is fragmented with most studies considering a sub-set of crops, modes of production regions and/or impact mechanisms.
This is a major barrier for balanced policy and practice inferences at the interface of
industrial crops and food security. Future research should better conceptualize the
possible pathways through which industrial crop production can affect food security.
Empirical studies should, to the extent possible, use compatible methods to allow for
the better understanding of these mechanisms across SSA.
Policy and practice priorities should include to (a) safeguard the long-term
economic and employment benefits accruing from engagement in industrial crop
production; (b) enhance farm output (for both industrial and food crops) while
avoiding negative environmental impacts; (c) enhance female participation in industrial crop production, while reducing the negative effects of time diversion from
unpaid household care work.
Acknowledgements Authors acknowledge the financial support of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) for the Belmont Forum project FICESSA. Abubakari Ahmed and Alice
Karanja were supported by Monbukagakusho scholarships offered by the Japanese Ministry of
Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) through the Graduate Program in
Sustainability Science – Global Leadership Initiative (GPSS-GLI), at the University of Tokyo.
Linda Chinangwa acknowledges the support of the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Sciences
(JSPS), through JSPS KAKENHI Grant number JP15F15765.
References
ACB (2017) GM cotton push in Swaziland: next target for failed BT cotton. African Centre for
Biodiversity (ACB), Johannesburg
Acheampong E, Campion BB (2014) The effects of biofuel feedstock production on farmers’
livelihoods in Ghana: the case of Jatropha curcas. Sustain 6:4587–4607. https://doi.org/10.
3390/su6074587
Adams A-M, Abudulai I, Bashiru M (2016) The Shea industry and rural livelihoods among women
in the WA municipality. J Soc Sci Stud 3:40. https://doi.org/10.5296/jsss.v3i2.8706
3 Linking Industrial Crop Production and Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa:. . .
125