ABSTRACT
Although in recent decades the African continent has undergone an ‘urban transformation’ (see Section 8 of this volume), most Africans today continue to live in rural areas. The majority of Africans, in fact, derive their livelihoods as primary producers, often engaging in complex and diverse portfolios of food production activities that include farming, fishing, rearing livestock, and hunting and gathering. Across the continent, rural life continues to centre around agriculture, with some estimates suggesting that the sector employs as much as 65 per cent of Africa’s labour force and accounts for 32 per cent of Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) (World Bank, 2013).
