Abstract

This paper analyzes the institutional requirements for sustainable agricultural development in Sub-Saharan Africa. It examines the situation from the perspective of both the recipient and the donor of aid and identifies the institutional conditions under which Official Development Assistance (ODA) — a major source of funding for agricultural development in Sub-Saharan Africa — can become more effective in promoting sustainable development.Agriculture represents the major employment sector in the region (as high as 75 to 80 percent in some countries). However, this high labor force contribution has not been translated into productivity for the sector. Also, bilateral and multilateral development agencies represent a major source of capital and technology for the region's development. Today, Sub-Saharan Africa is the largest recipient of official development assistance in the world, larger on a percentage and per capita basis than any other Third World region. Yet, the region has made only modest progress socioeconomically, compared to other developing regions and is now more dependent on food aid than ever. This raises an issue as to whether conventional technology transfer schemes are adequate in meeting the development needs of the region. Consequently, this study argues the following: that the present framework informing agricultural technology transfer to the region has been ineffective because environmental sustainability, energy efficiency, agricultural self-reliance (including domestic food security), and social equity have not been the central goals of programs