Innovation and Agriculture-Led Local Economic Development

Conclusions

• Africa’s inclusive development and growth depends on agriculture especially in rural areas
• Productivity and economic opportunity are highly variable across sub-national regions
• But, the reliance on access to capital and globalized markets means that these opportunities are likely to be captured by large-scale private enterprises
• Africa’s poverty reduction programs do not set out clear mechanisms on how prosperity can be generated at sub-national level in which the poor can participate directly
• Territorial development programs can enhance space for dialogue, and consensus building, including strengthening the voices of the poor, link bottom-up with top-down planning processes
• The need for directing LED programs to rural areas is widely accepted
• But there is still a divide between urban planners and rural development agencies
• LED initiatives especially in Sub-Saharan Africa must provide learning experiences
• LED programs must be seen as engines of growth
• There is a need for more attention in building up tools, competencies, and capabilities for successful LED at sub-national level