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Africa's Rising Demand for Wheat: Trends, Drivers, and Policy Implications
Author(s) -
Mason Nicole M.,
Jayne T.S.,
Shiferaw Bekele
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
development policy review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.671
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1467-7679
pISSN - 0950-6764
DOI - 10.1111/dpr.12129
Subject(s) - economics , consumption (sociology) , agriculture , agricultural economics , production (economics) , scale (ratio) , staple food , development economics , geography , social science , cartography , archaeology , sociology , macroeconomics
This article analyses trends in wheat consumption and imports in sub‐Saharan Africa since 1980, and estimates the economic and demographic determinants of this rising demand for wheat. Results point to rising incomes, growing populations, and increasing women's labour‐force participation as key drivers. Urban wheat‐expenditure shares generally exceed rural ones and SSA 's demand is met largely by imports and partly through domestic production on large‐scale farms. Rising demand may therefore entail few farm–non‐farm synergies and minimal prospects to spur broad‐based economic development. The article concludes by discussing policy options for African countries to meet their staple food needs while also promoting pro‐poor agricultural growth.