“This paper is concerned with the links between agriculture, growth and rural poverty reduction in Africa. The perceived wisdom is that agriculture is key for growth for Africa, and that agricultural growth is key for rural poverty reduction. We critically assess this point of view, and conclude that much of the evidence for this view, its conceptual basis and its implications are far less convincing than has been portrayed.The paper is organized as follows: first the key arguments are discussed which was used to favour growth in agriculture as both an engine of growth and a key mechanism for poverty reduction. Then we introduce the conceptual framework to link growth and agriculture in a dual economy context. Finally we discuss four key areas of research on agriculture, growth and poverty.”
