ABSTRACT
This chapter traces the development of agricultural crimes from simple, tolerated and socially accepted cultural activities to highly complex and commercialized criminal activities. For a long time in Africa, rural communities, especially farmers, were not concerned about theft as crime rarely occurred, and if it did occur, the impact was minimal. The social factors that have caused stock and crop theft to rise beyond acceptable levels in Africa are defined, highlighting the trends that have emerged, notably how criminals are taking advantage of traditional African rural culture to steal from and rob farmers. The crimes have changed from simple and highly opportunistic petty crimes to well-organized and sophisticated criminal activities. Historically, theft as the result of hunger in traditional African society was somewhat tolerated, a tradition that persists, albeit in defiance of formal law. The chapter concludes by emphasizing the need to embed the study of agricultural crime in Africa within a larger, global context.
