The nexus of environmental sustainability and agro-economic performance of Sub-Saharan African countries

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Adedoyin F. F., Alola A. A., Bekun F. V.

Heliyon, vol.6, no.9, 2020 (ESCI) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 6 Issue: 9
  • Publication Date: 2020
  • Doi Number: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04878
  • Journal Name: Heliyon
  • Journal Indexes: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, CAB Abstracts, Veterinary Science Database, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Keywords: Agricultural value added, Carbon emissions, Economics, Environmental science, Sub-Saharan African countries, Total natural rent, Urbanization
  • Istanbul Gelisim University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

© 2020 The Author(s)The increasing concern of environmental degradation and climate change impacts of agricultural-based activities are becoming more pronounced in the Sub-Sahara region of Africa especially due to urgent drive to meeting food, healthy diet, and economic needs. In retrospect. This novel study explores the relationship between agro-economic performance, the Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Total natural rent, urbanization and environmental degradation vis-à-vis (Carbon dioxide emissions) in a carbon function. The empirical analysis used a panel data for the period 1980–2014 for the selected countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The Kao test uncovers a cointegration between carbon dioxide emissions, Real Gross domestic product, Total natural rent, agriculture and urbanization. The panel Pooled Mean Autoregressive distributed lag model (PMG-ARDL) posits a positive and significant connection between the gross domestic product and CO2 emissions in the long run. Our examination asserts that agricultural value-added reduces emissions in sub-Saharan Africa while urbanization and natural resource rent both increases CO2 emissions in the long run. In addition, the causality analysis reveals a bidirectional link between agriculture value-added and CO2 emissions. Essentially, policymakers in African nations must pay close attention to the issues of rural-urban drift as this leads to more emissions. © 2020 The Author(s)Environmental science; Economics; Agricultural value added; Urbanization; Total natural rent; Carbon emissions; Sub-Saharan African countries.