Waiting for a Green Revolution

Predictions of a Green Revolution in Africa are overstated. Investment in African agriculture has been neglected by governments and donors. The proportion of aid allocated to agriculture fell from 17% in 1980 to 3% in 2005.1 Population growth and declining productivity among smallholder farmers has increased the need for imported food. Calls for Africa to achieve self-sufficiency in food production have prompted comparisons with Asia’s Green Revolution in the 1970s and 1980s. These notes argue for more flexible and varied responses to food insecurity in Africa.