Abstract
Version francaise de l'article In Africa, official statistics contain little data on organic agriculture, even though its products are increasingly available on local and export markets. African consumer demand is growing, providing a dynamic economic opportunity. Today, there is no doubt that organic agriculture is making an important contribution to the agro-ecological transition process underway in Africa. It reduces the adverse environmental and health impacts of agriculture, particularly because it uses no synthetic chemical inputs. It improves the resilience of agricultural systems. Under certain conditions, its specific techniques can increase agricultural productivity, even if its yields are on average lower than those in conventional agriculture. Organic systems are labour-intensive, and as such can be a source of employment for young people in rural areas. Some scientific studies and the initiatives undertaken by many local actors confirm the importance of organic agriculture in this continent. Agricultural research now needs to support its emergence, in a context in which very few studies have so far been conducted on this subject. To ensure these fledgling initiatives develop, research could also contribute to appropriate public policy making at different levels.
Highlights
At the global level, organic agriculture covered 57.8 million hectares in 2016, including in-conversion areas, or almost 1.2% of cultivated farmland
In African countries, the development of organic agriculture often raises the issue of ensuring food security for a rapidly growing population
Most research institutions fail to acknowledge organic agriculture as a potential lever for agricultural development. This is partly due to controversies specific to the industrialised countries, which are directly transferred to Africa, despite the fact that the problems are different, whether agricultural, environmental, economic or social. These controversies concern the yields observed, which are on average lower than in conventional agriculture, meaning more space would need to be allocated to organic agriculture and its products would be sold at a higher price
Summary
Organic agriculture covered 57.8 million hectares in 2016, including in-conversion areas, or almost 1.2% of cultivated farmland. Most research institutions fail to acknowledge organic agriculture as a potential lever for agricultural development This is partly due to controversies specific to the industrialised countries, which are directly transferred to Africa, despite the fact that the problems are different, whether agricultural, environmental, economic or social. These controversies concern the yields observed, which are on average lower than in conventional agriculture, meaning more space would need to be allocated to organic agriculture and its products would be sold at a higher price. At the economic and social level, organic agriculture is labourintensive (manual weeding, composting), which seems conducive to its development in countries with a large agricultural workforce
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