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The Commons in Africa: A Catalyst for Sustainable Agriculture.

The management of the commons in Africa is a key issue for sustainable agricultural development, food sovereignty, and value creation for local communities.

The Commons in Africa: A Catalyst for Sustainable Agriculture.

456 million hectares of farmland: a resource to be sustainably developed in the interest of food sovereignty.

EXPERTISE

A challenge for the agricultural and food sectors.

Our team attended a conference on the commons in Africa titled “What Public Policies for the Commons?”, organized by the AFD (French Development Agency) in Paris. Beyond public policy, this event highlighted concepts that shed light on agricultural development in Africa and the economic development of the entire continent. The concepts discussed draw in particular on the book *Africa in the Commons*.

The Commons in Africa: Societal and Environmental Pillars.

A commons is defined as a shared resource that is collectively managed and maintained by all the individuals or communities that have access to it. These individuals sharethe responsibility to preserve this resource. The community thus establishes governance rules with the aim of preserving and ensuring the long-term sustainability of these resources. These rules may involve the creation of a governance structure responsible for ensuring that access and obligations are respected.

These resources, which constitute the commons, can be natural, material, or intangible.

According to Benjamin Coriat, we must not confuse “commons” with “common good.” Indeed, while a common good refers to something that is shared and belongs to everyone, it is not necessarily managed collectively. The air we breathe, for example, belongs to all of us, but it is not a “commons” because there is no governance structure in place to manage it.

A societal value

Historically, organizational structures in Africa have operated according to a logic of collective governance, based on a rejection ofthe institutionalization of power. As a result, most states have implemented a redistribution of power to communities, with a limited presence of law enforcement.

The commons can, in fact, compensate for certain shortcomings of the state. Indeed, they are often found in places or areas where public authority is absent or failing. The commons thus embody their own societal and environmental value, which positions them at levels beyond the reach of public authorities.

In this way, they embodythe public interest and foster social cohesion, value, and social harmony. While this can sometimes lead to certain difficulties or contradictions, these are often resolved through collective deliberation.

Agriculture and the Commons in Africa.

Despite its gradual urbanization, Africa remains predominantly rural. With approximately 456 million hectares of available agricultural land, a large portion consists of forests and areas requiring conservation.Agriculture, which employed 53% of the workforce in 2019, continues to dominate the job market.

Land and natural resources thus form the economic foundation for millions of people in rural areas, directly influencing issues of food sovereignty, social peace, and economic development.

The management of common resources in Africa is therefore a key issue for the agricultural sector as it seeks to meet the challenge of feeding the entire population amid the continent’srapid population growth over the coming decades.

Increasing pressure on the “commons”

The issue of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) was raised to illustratethe increasing pressure on the commons. These SEZs are intended to promoteinvestment and foster industrial development. However, they regularly spark protests due tothe state’sexpropriation of land and the transfer of its management to government authorities. This also raises the issue of corruption and the misappropriation of the commons for the benefit of the state orprivate interests.

The issue of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) compounds the phenomenonof increasing urbanization across the continent, which itself poses a challenge to the commons. Indeed, the surge in demand for housing is creating competition with the need for agricultural land, thereby disrupting local economies.

As a result, pressure on common lands in Africa is intensifying, threateningagriculture through land-use conversion—often on land already used by local communities for subsistence farming. People who have been dispossessed of their land are then forced to find new areas for their agricultural or pastoral activities, or to consideremigration as an alternative.

It is therefore essential to take the societal dimension into account in every project. This is what we strive to do at Cubik, by systematically ensuring that local communities are involved so that they can benefit from the value created.

The challenge of balancing food sovereignty and sustainability.

  • Food sovereignty is a challenge for the African continent, and the commons play a central role. Resources must be protected from land grabbing, deforestation, and climate change, against a backdrop of rapid population growth.
  • To address this challenge, it is necessary to promote agricultural development projects at all levels. Beyond funding, the implementation of public policies and local initiatives aimed at supporting short supply chains and local markets can strengthen food sovereignty, while ensuring that production directly benefits local communities.
  • However, these projects must include the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices, such as agroecology or regenerative agriculture. These methods not only maximize land productivity but also promote biodiversity and the resilience of food systems in the face of climate change.