Routledge Agricultural Investment and Productivity: Building Sustainability in East Africa (Environment for Development)

Product Description Agricultural Investment and Productivity provides a deep and systematic look at the opportunities for and constraints to investments in sustainable agriculture in East Africa, offering important insights into what works and how to analyze agricultural investments in one of the poorest regions of the world. The book critically examines the reasons behind East Africa's stagnant agricultural productivity over the past forty-five years, using the primary lens of investments in fertilizers, seeds, and sustainable land management technologies. These investments have a tremendous impact on production volume, ultimately affecting the income of millions of families throughout the region. Review 'Improving the productivity and sustainability of agriculture in Africa is one of the pressing challenges of the 21st century. Bluffstone and Köhlin have assembled an authoritative volume of readings on this topic from some of the leading global experts. The book is essential reading for anyone interested in the complex problem of agricultural development in Africa.' -Edward B. Barbier, John S. Bugas Professor of Economics, University of Wyoming 'Stagnant yields, spikes in food prices, and a changing climate have pushed agriculture to the forefront of development concerns. This book provides a masterly microeconomic analysis of what's needed to make farm management more sustainable in Africa, the continent most dependent on agriculture.' -Jeffrey R. Vincent, Clarence F. Korstian Professor of Forest Economics and Management, Duke University 'Undoubtedly we must improve agricultural productivity to reduce widespread and persistent poverty. The sheer lack of agricultural development strategies, however, precludes the implementation of effective policies. This book represents a milestone towards the goal of poverty reduction in East Africa.' -Keijiro Otsuka, Professor of Development Economics, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, Tokyo About the Author Randall Bluffstone is Professor of Economics and Chair of the Department of Economics at Portland State University. Gunnar Kohlin is Associate Professor with the Environmental Economics Unit in the Department of Economics at University of Gothenburg and Director of the Environment for Development Initiative.