Transforming Agriculture in Southern Africa by Sikora, Richard A.; Terry, Eugene R.; Vlek, Paul L.G.;

Short description:

This book provides a synthesis of the key issues and challenges facing agriculture and food production in Southern Africa.

Long description:

This book provides a synthesis of the key issues and challenges facing agriculture and food production in Southern Africa.

Southern Africa is facing numerous challenges from diverse issues such as agricultural transformations, growing populations, urbanization and climate change. These challenges place great pressure on food security, agriculture, water availability and other natural resources, as well as impacting biodiversity. Drawing on case studies from Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, the chapters in this book consider these challenges from an interdisciplinary perspective, covering key areas in constraints to production, the most important building blocks of good farming practices, and established and emerging technologies. This book will be a valuable support for informing new policies and processes aimed at improving food production and security and developing sustainable agriculture in Southern Africa.

This informative volume will be key reading for those interested in agricultural science, African studies, rural studies, development studies and sustainability. It will also be a valuable resource for policymakers, governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and agricultural practitioners.

This title has been made available as Open Access under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CCBY-NC-ND) license and can be accessed here: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9780429401701

Table of Contents:

Part I Overview of South African Agriculture  1. Introduction  2. The strategic role of agriculture in the economic space of the Southern Africa Region  Part II Major drivers and constraints impacting agricultural transformation  3. Twice as many people in 2050: the need for agricultural transformation in Southern Africa  4. Climate change impact on agriculture in Southern Africa  5. Land rich but water poor: the prospects for agricultural intensification Southern Africa  6. The 60-percent giveaway: farmers and biological constraints  7. The impact of global and regional markets on agricultural transformation in Southern Africa  Part III Current Technologies  8. Soil fertility - maintenance and nutrient management for agricultural transformation  9. The Role of Seed Systems Development in African Agricultural Transformation  10. Scaling Climate-Smart Agriculture for agricultural transformation in Southern Africa smart agriculture and water management  11. Crop improvement for agricultural transformation in southern Africa  12. Integrated Pest Management in Southern Africa: Approaches and Enabling Policy Issues  13. Options for improving stored product protection in Southern Africa  14. Technology as a transformative tool in livestock production  15. Technologies for Agricultural Transformation: Animal Health  Part IV Emerging Technologies  16. Harnessing ecosystem services in transforming agriculture in Southern Africa  17. The role of mechanization in transformation of smallholder agriculture in Southern Africa. Experience from Zimbabwe  18. Advanced genetic technologies for improving plant production  19. Unleashing the power of vegetables and fruits in Southern Africa  20. Going Digital: Harnessing the power of emerging technologies for the transformation of Southern African Agriculture  21. Reducing mycotoxin impacts on food losses and human health in Southern Africa  22. Small-scale renewable energy as a catalyst for advancing agriculture and food security in Southern Africa  23. Trees on farms and farmers in the forest: good practices and a need for policy  Part V Improving policies and processes  24. Land Reform and Land Tenure for Agricultural Transformation in Southern Africa  25. Engendering agricultural transformation  26. Building Human Capacity to Transform Agriculture in Southern Africa  27. Urban Markets and Agricultural transformation in Southern Africa  28. Importance of Small Rural Markets in the Transformation of Southern African Agriculture  29. Agricultural growth corridors in sub-Saharan Africa – New hope for agricultural transformation and rural development? The case of the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania  30. Policy Options for Cropping Systems Diversification in　Southern Africa  31. Small Scale Enterprise and Economic Progress: Entrepreneurship as an vehicle for transformation Strategic  32. Changing farm structure and its implications on agricultural transformation in sub-Saharan Africa  33. Food security in Africa: a complex issue requiring complex analytical tools  Part VI Conclusions  34. The way Forward and Word Cloud