ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to explore three hypotheses. These include: the strengthening of Africa’s small farmers is not the only defensible way to attempt increased agricultural production in the sub-Saharan region; ‘land grabs’ of the kind excoriated in the press are not the only way to invest in commercial African agriculture. These also include: sub-Saharan Africa represents vast, untapped agricultural production potential that can be mobilised equitable and sustainably. The chapter examines why these hypotheses matter and argue that although at the regional level sub-Saharan Africa’s agricultural production potential is more than enough to meet the region’s own needs, commercial production modalities will be necessary to mobilise much of that potential. Comparative advantage introduces the potential benefits of regional trade and the need for tradable surpluses. The chapter ends with a case for a more favourable perception of agricultural foreign direct investment into emerging markets.
