African farmer-led irrigation development: re-framing agricultural policy and investment?

The past decade has witnessed an intensifying focus on the development of irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa

From:: Department for International Development
Published: 9 November 2016

Document Type:: Journal Article
Theme:: Agriculture
Authors:: Woodhouse, P, Veldwisch, G.J., Venot, J.P., Brockington, D, Komakech, H, Manjichi, A

Abstract

The past decade has witnessed an intensifying focus on the development of irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa. It follows a 20-year hiatus in the wake of disappointing irrigation performance during the 1970s and 1980s. Persistent low productivity in African agriculture and vulnerability of African food supplies to increasing instability in international commodity markets are driving pan-African agricultural investment initiatives, such as the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP), that identify as a priority the improvement in reliability of water control for agriculture.

The paper argues that, for such initiatives to be effective, there needs to be a re-appraisal of current dynamics of irrigation development in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly with respect to the role of small-scale producers’ initiatives in expanding irrigation.

This is an output from the ‘Assessing the growth potential of farmer-led irrigation development in sub-Saharan Africa’ led by the University of Manchester

Citation

Philip Woodhouse, Gert Jan Veldwisch, Jean-Philippe Venot, Dan Brockington, Hans Komakech & Ângela Manjichi (2016) African farmer-led irrigation development: re-framing agricultural policy and investment?, The Journal of Peasant Studies, 44:1, 213-233 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03066150.2016.1219719