Poverty and Agriculture in Southern Africa Revisited: A Panel Causality Perspective


BEKUN F. V., Akadiri S. S.

SAGE Open, vol.9, no.1, 2019 (SSCI) identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 9 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2019
  • Doi Number: 10.1177/2158244019828853
  • Journal Name: SAGE Open
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus
  • Keywords: agricultural development, panel cointegration, panel Granger causality, poverty reduction, Southern Africa
  • Istanbul Gelisim University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Agricultural advancement is considered a panacea for poverty reduction, particularly, in developing countries. This study empirically investigates the dynamic linkage between agricultural value added (AVA) and poverty reduction for a panel of nine countries in Southern Africa using a second-generation panel approach for the period 1990 to 2015. Empirical results show that agricultural development is necessary but not a sufficient policy to combat poverty as it is only viable in the short run. Thus, we suggest long-run economic programs and/or strategies that will complement agricultural development toward poverty alleviation to spur economic growth in the sampled region.