Organized by: Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa (MIASA), at the University of Ghana, Legon/Accra, Ghana

In collaboration with: Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) at the University of Ghana; German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), Germany

Keynote speeches by:

Prof. Awudu Abdulai, University of Kiel, Germany

Prof. Eva-Marie Meemken, ETH-Zurich, Switzerland

Program Committee:

Dr. Fred Dzanku, ISSER

Prof. Jann Lay, GIGA and University of Goettingen

Prof. Robert Darko Osei, ISSER

Prof. Charlotte Wrigley-Asante, MIASA

Prof. Joseph Yaro, University of Ghana

Concept and contents

This first MIASA policy conference on “Policies for a sustainable rural transformation in Africa” is meant to provide a space for exchange between researchers, policy makers, development practitioners and other stakeholders in rural development to present and discuss the most recent policy-relevant research findings.

Africa’s rural areas have been in a process of continuous change in particular since the economic reforms of the 1980s and 1990s. In a context of rapid population growth and rural-urban migration, rural livelihoods in many places have changed significantly. They have diversified and farming has become much more commercialized. Yet, smallholder agriculture remains the mainstay of the rural economy and, despite some progress, poverty remains widespread and food security is often not guaranteed. With the population projected to double by 2050 demographic pressure will be reinforced and climate change will massively aggravate the pressure on natural resources, be it land, water or forests. Accelerated rural development, including increased agricultural productivity, that uses natural resources sustainably and protects the environment, in particular remaining forests, is needed. In other words, a sustainable rural transformation is required. Achieving such a transformation will require developing a vision of this transformation, setting the right priorities, and managing well the potential trade-offs between rural economic progress, on the one hand, and social progress and environmental objectives, on the other hand. It also requires inclusiveness and gender equality. Often, the policy-relevant evidence that research provides on key questions of rural development in Africa is fragmented and comes in bits and pieces. One aim of this conference is therefore to bring together bigger research projects and initiatives and put together a program that goes well beyond a series of paper presentations. We target in particular policy-makers and development practitioners.