AFRICA AGRICULTURE STATUS REPORT 2016

agricultural potential, alternative (or non-agricultural) sources
of growth, and income level (Benin et al., Kennedy, Lambert, &
McBride, 2010). The categories reflect the notion that different
countries, depending on their resource endowments and stage
of development, are on different trajectories toward achieving
their development objectives (Diao, Hazell, Resnick, & Thurlow,
2007) 2 . They include: low-income countries with less favorable
agricultural conditions, low-income countries with more favorable
agricultural conditions, low-income countries with mineral-rich
economies, and middle-income countries. Three sub-periods are
considered: 1995–2003, representing the baseline period; 2003–
2008, representing the periods up to the initial CAADP end date
of 2008; and 2008–2014, representing the period up to the year
when the Malabo Declaration was made.
Figure 2.2: Progress in meeting
CAADP 10 percent target
Agriculture expenditure as share of total
expenditure (%)
Public Agriculture Expenditure
The volume of public agriculture expenditure by African countries
has increased tremendously over the last 20 years. The country
average in Africa increased from $128.55 million in 1995–2003 to
$186.4 million in 2003–2008, and to $219.62 million in 2008–2014
(Table 2.1). The slower growth in public agriculture expenditure
in 2008–2014, 2.3 percent vs. 6.6 in 2003–2008, reflects the
considerable impact of the global food and financial crises
on both fiscal revenues and Official Development Assistance
(ODA). Although the volume of public agriculture expenditure has
increased over time, the amount spent as a share of total public
expenditure has been less than 4 percent per year for Africa as
a whole, far short of the CAADP target of 10 percent. The shares
were higher for the low-income groups (e.g. 5.1–7.5 percent in
2008–2014) than for the middle-income group (2.5 percent). This
is because middle-income countries with non-agricultural sources
of growth and development may be shifting emphasis to sectors
with larger returns (Benin, 2013). Since 2003, only 13 countries in
Africa have managed to surpass the 10 percent target in any year
(Benin & Yu, 2013) and only 5 did so more recently in 2008–2014
(see Figure 2.2). In contrast, spending intensity, i.e. the amount
spent as a share of total agricultural GDP, rose faster during the
post-CAADP period, from 5.1 percent in 1995–2003 to 6.1 in
2003–2008, before declining slightly to 5.8 percent during 2008–
2014, but still higher than the pre-CAADP period. Comparing the
different groups, spending intensity was lower for the low-income
group (e.g. 3.7–6.1 percent in 2008–2014) than for the middleincome
countries (6.2 percent).
Data on expenditure in different areas (e.g., research, irrigation,
extension, marketing, infrastructure, farm-support subsidies,
etc.) are not as comprehensive as they are for total public
agriculture expenditure. For example, aside from the Agricultural
Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI) database (IFPRI,
2015a), which has data on agricultural research expenditure
for 37 African countries, there are no similar time-series, crosscountry
databases on the other major types of agricultural public
spending. The Monitoring African Food and Agricultural Policies
Source: ReSAKSS (2015)
28 AFRICA AGRICULTURE STATUS REPORT 2016
Annual Avg. level
(1995-2003)
CAADP 10% Target