Some Observations on the Agrarian Question in the Era of Economic Liberalisation in Sub-Saharan Africa: Which Way Forward?

This paper contributes to the debate on the way forward in sub-­‐Saharan Africa with respect to the agrarian question in emerging markets under economic liberalisation. The point of departure is that since the peasantry is a temporary category which can be transformed into other social groups that can earn their living from incomes raised outside agriculture (such as from wage employment in mines, manufacturing industries, and the service sectors), not every rural dweller should be or is a farmer. Improved methods of cultivation especially with mechanisation, agricultural extension, entrepreneurship, and skills training and empowerment of women and youth; secure land tenure for collateral; infrastructure development to link farmers to markets; and finance can help a small proportion of the rural populations of Africa to graduate into commercial farmers who could produce enough food to feed the continent. The surplus population could be absorbed in wage employment in agro-­‐processing industries, and in other value adding industries outside agriculture such as mineral processing, if Africa experiences industrial transformation. This is largely the experience of industrialised countries that have experienced such transformation in the last 50 years or so, the same period African countries have enjoyed political independence, but have lagged behind with respect to resolving the agrarian question