during the recent land rush that was partly spearheaded by bioenergy crops such as
jatropha and sugarcane (Schoneveld et al. 2011).
However, industrial crop production can have various socioeconomic and environmental impacts depending on factors as diverse as the crop, the mode of production, the context within which production takes place and the institutions that govern
industrial crop production, use and trade (e.g. Gasparatos et al. 2015) (Chap. 2 Vol.
1; Chap. 5 Vol. 2). Many recent studies have explored a series of impacts related to
industrial crop production in SSA including economic growth, poverty alleviation,
loss of livelihoods and environmental degradation, among many others (Gasparatos
et al. 2015; Arndt et al. 2010; Hess et al. 2016; Strona et al. 2018).
Food security has emerged as one of the most extensively studied impacts
(Jarzebski et al. 2019), largely due to the rapid expansion of biofuel projects during
the recent land rush, and the popularity of negative narratives such as land grabbing,
land dispossession and “food vs. fuel” (Kuchler and Linnér 2012; Tenenbaum 2008;
Tomei and Helliwell 2016). Many studies have explored the food security outcomes
of industrial crop production in SSA across different scales, (i.e. from the household
level to the national and international level) (e.g. Zeller and Sharma 2000; Komarek
2010; Wood et al. 2012; Negash and Swinnen 2013). The perceptions and outcomes
of industrial crops articulated in these studies are very polarized, ranging from
“industrial crops as major risks to food security” (e.g. Molony and Smith 2010;
Matondi et al. 2011; HLPE 2013) to “important agents of economic growth and rural
transformation” whose expansion could have positive food security outcomes
(e.g. Arndt et al. 2009; Arndt et al. 2012; Hartley et al. 2019; HLPE 2013). However,
it is extremely complicated to unravel the food security outcomes of industrial crop
production as they are mediated by many different mechanisms (Wiggins et al. 2015;
Jarzebski et al. 2019).
The above suggest that the interface of industrial crop production and food
security presents a major sustainability challenge for many SSA countries. On the
one hand industrial crops can drive the modernization and diversification of SSA
agriculture, offering important income and employment opportunities locally and
economic growth nationally. On the other hand, they can have profound environmental and socioeconomic impacts, which are mediated through multiple different
mechanisms. Collectively these effects can have important ramifications for food
security, which can be positive or negative depending on many context-specific
factors.
The aim of this chapter is to provide a broad overview of how industrial crop
production intersects with food security in SSA. We provide insights about these
intersections at different levels (i.e. local, national, continental) through a literature
review, secondary data analysis and policy analysis. Section 3.2 outlines the methodological approach. Section 3.3 highlights the history and drivers of industrial crop
production in SSA (Sect. 3.3.1) and the mechanisms through which industrial crop
production intersects with food security (Sect. 3.3.2). Section 3.4 discusses some of
the main literature patterns (Sect. 3.4.1), and policy implications in the context of the
SDGs (Sect. 3.4.2).
3 Linking Industrial Crop Production and Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa:. . .
85
jatropha and sugarcane (Schoneveld et al. 2011).
However, industrial crop production can have various socioeconomic and environmental impacts depending on factors as diverse as the crop, the mode of production, the context within which production takes place and the institutions that govern
industrial crop production, use and trade (e.g. Gasparatos et al. 2015) (Chap. 2 Vol.
1; Chap. 5 Vol. 2). Many recent studies have explored a series of impacts related to
industrial crop production in SSA including economic growth, poverty alleviation,
loss of livelihoods and environmental degradation, among many others (Gasparatos
et al. 2015; Arndt et al. 2010; Hess et al. 2016; Strona et al. 2018).
Food security has emerged as one of the most extensively studied impacts
(Jarzebski et al. 2019), largely due to the rapid expansion of biofuel projects during
the recent land rush, and the popularity of negative narratives such as land grabbing,
land dispossession and “food vs. fuel” (Kuchler and Linnér 2012; Tenenbaum 2008;
Tomei and Helliwell 2016). Many studies have explored the food security outcomes
of industrial crop production in SSA across different scales, (i.e. from the household
level to the national and international level) (e.g. Zeller and Sharma 2000; Komarek
2010; Wood et al. 2012; Negash and Swinnen 2013). The perceptions and outcomes
of industrial crops articulated in these studies are very polarized, ranging from
“industrial crops as major risks to food security” (e.g. Molony and Smith 2010;
Matondi et al. 2011; HLPE 2013) to “important agents of economic growth and rural
transformation” whose expansion could have positive food security outcomes
(e.g. Arndt et al. 2009; Arndt et al. 2012; Hartley et al. 2019; HLPE 2013). However,
it is extremely complicated to unravel the food security outcomes of industrial crop
production as they are mediated by many different mechanisms (Wiggins et al. 2015;
Jarzebski et al. 2019).
The above suggest that the interface of industrial crop production and food
security presents a major sustainability challenge for many SSA countries. On the
one hand industrial crops can drive the modernization and diversification of SSA
agriculture, offering important income and employment opportunities locally and
economic growth nationally. On the other hand, they can have profound environmental and socioeconomic impacts, which are mediated through multiple different
mechanisms. Collectively these effects can have important ramifications for food
security, which can be positive or negative depending on many context-specific
factors.
The aim of this chapter is to provide a broad overview of how industrial crop
production intersects with food security in SSA. We provide insights about these
intersections at different levels (i.e. local, national, continental) through a literature
review, secondary data analysis and policy analysis. Section 3.2 outlines the methodological approach. Section 3.3 highlights the history and drivers of industrial crop
production in SSA (Sect. 3.3.1) and the mechanisms through which industrial crop
production intersects with food security (Sect. 3.3.2). Section 3.4 discusses some of
the main literature patterns (Sect. 3.4.1), and policy implications in the context of the
SDGs (Sect. 3.4.2).
3 Linking Industrial Crop Production and Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa:. . .
85