Structural adjustment programmes and sub saharan Africa: an assessment of the role and impact of saps in agriculture, poverty alleviation and environmental conservation. [1980 - 2000)

Abstract

This project analyzes the role and impact of Structural Adjustment Programmes in Agriculture development, poverty alleviation and environmental conservation in Sub- Saharan African, in the last two decades of the 20th century. The first chapter introduces the study's hypothesis, methodology and theoretical framework. The second chapter analyses the impact of SAPs in agricultural development in the region and arrive to the following conclusions. One, in the SAPs era, agricultural production especially that of exports improved after implementation of price reforms. Reduced government role in the agricultural sector has created space for the private sector participation, which has enhanced efficiency and revived some hither to none performing industries. On the hand withdrawal of subsidies on essential agricultural inputs has led to their reduced use due to their high prices. The sector also continue to experience supply constrains such as poor infrastructure which SAPs has failed to address. The third chapter analyses the impact of SAPs in poverty alleviation and come up with the following conclusions. SAPs have deteriorated poverty levels in the region at the period of the study. This has been experienced in the failure of the government to provide essential social services like health care and education as a result of fiscal policies implemented in the SAPs era. Food security also deteriorated in the SAPs era. The retrenchment programmes undertaken in the public sector have also led to deterioration of poverty in the region. The fourth chapter focuses on the role of SAPs in environmental conservation in the region and arrives to the following conclusion. SAPs can enhance environmental conservation in the region through allocation of scarcity value to natural resources that are experiencing depletion. The study recommends that price reforms advocated by SAPs should be supported by increased public investment in the economy. The latter should focus on provision of public goods and alleviation of the supply constraints especially in the agricultural sector. At the same time, structural and institutional reforms should be implemented comprehensively inorder to reduce poverty levels and promote environmental conservation in the region.