Farming

Agricultural policies in Africa harming the poorest

Published

10 years ago

March 1, 2016

Growing for export: May ‘exacerbate poverty’

AGRICULTURAL policies aimed at alleviating poverty in Africa could be making things worse, according to new research findings.

University of East Anglia (UEA) researchers this week published a report on so-called ‘green revolution’ policies in Rwanda. Governments, international donors and organisations such as the International Monetary Fund claim these strategies are successfully growing the economy and alleviating poverty, but researchers revealed that they may in fact be having very negative impacts on the poorest people in the country.

One of the major strategies to reduce poverty in sub-Saharan Africa is through policies aiming to increase and ‘modernise’ agricultural production. Up to 90 per cent of people in some African countries are smallholder farmers reliant on agriculture, for whom agricultural innovation, such as using new seed varieties and cultivation techniques, holds potential benefit but also great risk.

In the 1960s and 70s policies supporting new seeds for marketable crops, sold at guaranteed prices, helped many farmers and transformed economies in Asian countries. These became known as “green revolutions”. The new wave of green revolution policies in sub- Saharan Africa is supported by multinational companies and western donors, and is impacting the lives of tens, even hundreds of millions of smallholder farmers, according to Dr Neil Dawson, who led the UEA study.

The UEA research reveals that only a relatively wealthy minority have been able to keep to enforced modernisation because the poorest farmers cannot afford the risk of taking out credit for the approved inputs, such as seeds and fertilisers. Their fears of harvesting nothing from new crops and the potential for the government to seize and reallocate their land means many choose to sell up instead.

PRIVATE AID MAY NOT BE HELPING

The report follows another by social justice organisation Global Justice Now, which suggested the world’s largest private donors, who wield huge amounts of influence and financial power have “Dangerously and unaccountably [distorted] the direction of international development” in a way that could entrench corporate power and poverty. This has been done by, amongst other things, championing highly industrialised agriculture, which is undermining smaller-scale, biologically diverse systems.

Dr Dawson’s findings tie in with recent debates about strategies to feed the world in the face of growing populations, for example the influence of wealthy donors such as the Gates Foundation, initiative’s such as the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, and multinational companies such as Monsanto in pushing for their vision of agriculture in Africa.

There have also been debates about small versus large farms being best to combat hunger in Africa, while struggles to maintain local control over land and food production, for example among the Oromo people in Ethiopia, have been highlighted. In a recent policy document advocating on behalf of small-scale farmers, FAO warned that “The over-arching paradigm of economic growth, considered the highway to secure development, has left the social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development behind.”

Dr Dawson, a senior research associate in UEA’s School of International Development, commented, “Similar results are emerging from other experiments in Africa. Agricultural development certainly has the potential to help people, but instead these policies appear to be exacerbating landlessness and inequality for poorer rural inhabitants.

“Many of these policies have been hailed as transformative development successes, yet that success is often claimed on the basis of weak evidence through inadequate impact assessments. And conditions facing African countries today are very different from those past successes in Asia some 40 years ago.”

‘MODERNISATION’ NOT THE WHOLE ANSWER

Outlining one of the main criticisms with this vision of agriculture and its place in development policies, Dr Dawson added: “Such policies may increase aggregate production of exportable crops, yet for many of the poorest smallholders they strip them of their main productive resource, land. [My research] details how these imposed changes disrupt subsistence practices, exacerbate poverty, impair local systems of trade and knowledge, and threaten land ownership. It is startling that the impacts of policies with such far-reaching impacts for such poor people are, in general, so inadequately assessed.”

The research looked in-depth at Rwanda’s agricultural policies and the changes impacting the wellbeing of rural inhabitants in eight villages in the Country’s mountainous west. Here chronic poverty is common and people depend on the food they are able to grow on their small plots.

Farmers traditionally cultivated up to 60 different types of crops, planting and harvesting in overlapping cycles to prevent shortages and hunger. However, due to high population density in Rwanda’s hills, agricultural policies have been imposed which force farmers to modernise with new seed varieties and chemical fertilisers, to specialise in single crops and part with “archaic” agricultural practices.

Dr Dawson and his UEA coauthors Dr Adrian Martin and Prof Thomas Sikor recommend that not only should green revolution policies be subject to much broader and more rigorous impact assessments, but that mitigation for poverty-exacerbating impacts should be specifically incorporated into such policies. In Rwanda, in their view, that would mean encouraging land access for the poorest and supporting traditional practices during a gradual and voluntary shift.

Crime

Police appeal after 29 ewes stolen from Carmarthenshire hillside

Published

4 days ago

November 13, 2025

Tom Sinclair

POLICE are investigating the theft of 29 yearling ewes from mountain grazing land in Cilycwm, near Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire.

The livestock were taken sometime between 1 September and 22 October 2025, according to Dyfed-Powys Police.

The ewes are mostly white-bodied and have two distinctive pitchmarks which officers hope will help farmers and the public identify them. These include a black number 8 marked on the side of the body and a green ‘T’ symbol on the top of the back. Images of the missing animals have been issued as part of the appeal.

The force’s Rural Crime Team is urging anyone who may have noticed suspicious activity on the mountainside during that period, or who has information on the location of the animals, to contact officers on 101.

Alternatively, information can be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via the Crimestoppers website.

Farming

Farmer honoured for outstanding contribution to Welsh agriculture

Published

4 days ago

November 13, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Long-serving industry advocate recognised for mentoring and public engagement

CARMARTHENSHIRE farmer Haydn Evans has been awarded the 2025 Farmers’ Union of Wales – United Counties Agriculture and Hunters Society Award for his exceptional contribution to farming in the county and across Wales.

Mr Evans, an organic dairy farmer and Vice Chair of NFU Cymru Carmarthenshire, was recognised for his long-standing commitment to the agricultural sector at both local and national level.

After a successful career in the banking sector, he began farming from scratch twenty years ago, purchasing his first farm and a small herd of cows. He now runs a 97-hectare organic dairy enterprise split across two units – one dedicated to the milking herd and the other to rearing youngstock.

Alongside running the business, Mr Evans plays an active role in industry representation. He serves as Chair of the Welsh Organic Forum and is closely involved with NFU Cymru’s work in the county. His background in finance is seen as a valuable asset in discussions about business resilience, future policy and the challenges facing family farms.

He is also a mentor with the Farming Connect Mentoring Scheme, offering practical guidance to farmers across Wales, particularly those seeking to diversify or strengthen their business operations.

Mr Evans is a strong advocate for agricultural education and public engagement. Each year he supports Carmarthenshire YFC’s “My Food Plate” event, which introduces primary school pupils to sustainable food production and environmental stewardship.

Further developing his technical skills, he recently completed the Fertiliser Advisers Certification and Training Scheme (FACTS) and now teaches at Gelli Aur Agricultural College, helping to train the next generation of agricultural professionals.

The award was presented at the FUW’s Eve of the Welsh Dairy Show Dinner, held at Carmarthen Market on Tuesday, October 28, 2025. This year’s award was sponsored by NatWest Cymru.

Sian Thomas, Chair of the United Counties Agriculture and Hunters Society, said the recognition was “well-deserved,” praising Mr Evans’ dedication to supporting new entrants and promoting best practice within Welsh agriculture.

FUW President Ian Rickman also congratulated Mr Evans, highlighting both his success as an organic dairy farmer and his “tireless efforts to educate and inspire others within the agricultural community.”

Farming

Farming inheritance tax changes spark calls for delay amid Welsh concerns

Published

4 days ago

November 13, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Committee warns of “confusion” as Government urged to review impact on Wales

PLANS to overhaul inheritance tax rules for agricultural estates have prompted a warning from MPs that Welsh family farms could face significant uncertainty unless ministers pause the reforms and assess their impact properly.

The cross-party Welsh Affairs Committee says the measures, due to take effect in April 2026, risk hitting small and medium-sized family farms far harder than the UK Government has suggested. Members argue that the changes have been developed without considering the distinct structure of Welsh farming, where many holdings are family-run, multi-generational and reliant on diversified income streams.

Under the proposals announced in last year’s Labour Budget, inherited agricultural assets valued above £1m would be taxed at 20%. While Treasury officials insist that only the largest estates will be affected, farming unions and rural accountants have produced far higher estimates. Some advisers say the reforms could touch the majority of Welsh farms, particularly where investment in tourism, renewables or on-site businesses has increased overall estate values.

The committee’s report highlights that no Welsh-specific data was published when the policy was announced, leaving what it describes as “a vacuum” filled by wildly different projections. MPs say this lack of clarity has fuelled anxiety across the sector, especially among families preparing for succession in the coming years.

Farmers who have expanded into caravan parks, holiday accommodation or wedding venues warn that diversification — encouraged for decades as a way of shoring up rural income — now risks pushing them over the proposed allowance. Several have told the committee that younger family members hoping to take over holdings are now unsure how to plan, with some reconsidering investment or delaying major decisions until the tax position is clearer.

The committee has urged the UK Government to halt the reforms until a full, Wales-specific impact assessment can be produced, scrutinised and debated. Members argue that any future policy must recognise that Welsh farms are typically smaller, more marginal and more culturally significant than the UK average, often forming the backbone of Welsh-speaking communities.

They also recommend that the Wales Office should take a leading role in assessing how UK-wide tax policies affect devolved nations, to avoid repeating what they describe as a “complacent” approach in this case.

Opposition parties in Wales have echoed the committee’s call for a pause, arguing that the reforms could destabilise rural communities and introducing that level of financial pressure without detailed analysis risks unintended harm. They say there are alternative ways to tighten tax rules for large estates or corporate landowners without imposing heavy costs on working family farms.

The Welsh Government said it welcomed the committee’s work and would consider its findings. The Treasury maintains that it is supporting British agriculture through investment allowances for machinery, funding for sustainable food production and measures designed to reduce EU export costs. Ministers say the reforms will ensure reliefs worth hundreds of millions of pounds are more fairly distributed and contribute to public services.

The next UK Budget is due within a fortnight, and farming organisations will be watching closely for any sign that ministers intend to slow down or revise the proposed changes.