Linking Industrial Crop Production and Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa: Local, National and Continental Perspectives

Various industrial crops have been promoted across sub-Saharan African (SSA) to meet very diverse socioeconomic objectives linked to economic growth, rural development, agricultural modernization and energy security. Even though industrial crop production and food security have received extensive policy attention, we lack a comprehensive understanding of their interface due to the large diversity of crops, modes of production, production areas and underlying impact mechanisms. This chapter synthesizes the existing evidence about the production patterns and drivers of industrial crop production in SSA, as well as how it intersects with food security. Initially through the analysis of secondary data and policy documents, we identify the very diverse production patterns and underlying drivers of industrial crop expansion in some of the key producing countries in the continent such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Burkina Faso, and Swaziland. Subsequently through a systematic literature review, we unravel how different mechanisms dictate the food security outcomes of industrial crop production across the continent. In particular, we identify 25 distinct mechanisms and the underlying factors through which they influence food security outcomes. The current literature is fragmented, with most studies focusing on single or small subsets of crops and impact mechanisms. Most studies capture mechanisms related to food access and availability, rather than food utilization and stability. Based on this synthesis, we identify priority policy and practice domains that need to be targeted in order to improve the food security outcomes of industrial crop production across SSA.