Last updated on February 26, 2012
Calestous Juma’s most recent book The New Harvest: Agricultural Innovation in Africa is now available for free from the Kennedy School of Government website. Here is an overview of the book:
African agriculture is currently at a crossroads, at which persistent food shortages are compounded by threats from climate change. But, as this book argues, Africa faces three major opportunities that can transform its agriculture into a force for economic growth: advances in science and technology; the creation of regional markets; and the emergence of a new crop of entrepreneurial leaders dedicated to the continent’s economic improvement.
Filled with case studies from within Africa and success stories from developing nations around the world, The New Harvest outlines the policies and institutional changes necessary to promote agricultural innovation across the African continent. Incorporating research from academia, government, civil society, and private industry, the book suggests multiple ways that individual African countries can work together at the regional level to develop local knowledge and resources, harness technological innovation, encourage entrepreneurship, increase agricultural output, create markets, and improve infrastructure.
If you are like me and prefer to have the entire book in a single .pdf file, scroll down on the page for a link to the complete text of the book.
Calestous is also a prolific tweeter. You can follow him on Twitter by clicking here.