IISD REPORT: The Rise of Agricultural Growth Poles in Africa

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The Rise of Agricultural Growth Poles in Africa:
Investment in Agriculture Policy Brief #6

Dear colleagues,

We would like to draw your attention to a growing trend in Africa: agricultural growth poles and corridors are being deployed as a tool to attract private investment.

In a new IISD report, The Rise of Agricultural Growth Poles in Africa, we found that Africa has seen the emergence of at least 36 agricultural growth poles and 9 corridors over the past 15 years. They cover at least 3.5 million hectares of land in 23 countries.

When done right, increased investment can help generate employment, increase incomes and promote sustainable development. But when done badly, it can exacerbate existing inequalities, undermine the livelihoods of small-scale farmers, and significantly deplete land, water, soil and other natural resources.

The growth of these investment poles also has implications for potential investor-state dispute cases. We published a blog last week about a recent claim registered by Swedish investor EcoDevelopment at the ICSID against the Tanzanian government.

Our colleagues at the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment have also published a blog on the topic which is well worth a read: Not So Sweet: Tanzania Confronts Arbitration over Sugarcane & Ethanol Project.

Ensuring that the new wave of agropoles and growth corridors are effective, and respect the rights of local communities and the environment, requires robust policies, laws and practices.

We hope you find it interesting.

Kind regards,

Carin Smaller
Advisor on Agriculture and Investment
International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
Geneva, Switzerland
+41 78 911 0896
skype: csmaller
twitter: @carin_smaller
  

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