Angola's Agricultural Potential: Exploring Cropland Opportunities

Angola is a country with a rich history of agriculture. Before its independence from Portugal in 1975, Angola was self-sufficient in all major food crops except wheat and was a major exporter of cotton, coffee, corn, bananas, tobacco, sugar cane, and sisal. However, the Angolan Civil War (1975-2002) and the consequent deterioration of the rural economy severely impacted the country's agricultural productivity. Today, Angola has about 57.4 million hectares of agricultural land, including more than 5 million hectares of arable land, but less than 3% of it is cultivated. The country still has the potential for agricultural development, and the government is working to attract foreign investment and improve infrastructure to support the sector.

Angola's agricultural potential

Angola has the potential to become an agricultural powerhouse on the African continent. The country has an abundance of arable land—approximately 35 million hectares—with fertile soils and a favourable climate. Angola's diverse climatic conditions are suitable for producing a variety of agricultural products.

Before its independence from Portugal in 1975, Angola had a flourishing tradition of family-based farming and was self-sufficient in all major food crops except wheat. The country exported coffee, maize, and crops such as sisal, bananas, tobacco, and cassava. However, the civil war from 1975 to 2002 led to the collapse of commercial agricultural production, and Angola's agricultural potential has remained untapped since then.

In recent years, there has been a renewed focus on agriculture in Angola, with the sector's share of GDP increasing from 5.8% to 10% during the 2011–2017 period. The government has recognised the importance of developing the non-oil economy and attracting new capital and technology into the agricultural sector.

To realise its agricultural potential, Angola needs to address several challenges. Firstly, improving water resource management and increasing access to clean water is crucial. Secondly, the country needs to resolve land rights issues and improve land administration systems, as currently, most land transactions occur on the informal market. Thirdly, increasing investment in agricultural infrastructure and providing incentives for people to return to farming are necessary.

With its vast arable land, favourable climate, and water resources, Angola has the potential to become a significant player in the global agricultural market. By addressing the challenges it faces and harnessing its resources effectively, Angola can revitalise its agricultural sector and boost its economy.

Angola's main crops

Angola has a diverse range of crops due to its varied climate and irrigation potential. The country's main agricultural crop is cassava, which accounted for approximately 40% of total agricultural production in 2019-2020. Angola is the ninth-largest producer of cassava in the world.

The country also produces bananas, maize, sweet potatoes, beans, potatoes, rice, and fruits and vegetables. In 2018, Angola produced 3.5 million tons of bananas, making it the seventh-largest producer in the world.

Before the civil war, Angola was a major producer and exporter of cotton, coffee, corn, banana, tobacco, sugar cane, and sisal. Angola was the fourth-largest coffee producer in the world. The country is now trying to make its coffee industry competitive again through government policies and initiatives.

Angola's food security

Angola has a current population of over 31 million people, with two-thirds of the population depending on agriculture for food, income, and employment. The country has about 57.4 million hectares of agricultural land, including more than 5 million hectares of arable land. Angola's agricultural resources remain underutilized, and the country is exposed to various risks related to climate change.

Despite these challenges, there are efforts to improve Angola's food security. The country's National Development Plan for 2018-2022 includes agricultural development to diversify the economy and build domestic food production capacity. The government has established target areas for agricultural production development, such as stimulating beef production and increasing corn production capacity. Various organizations, such as the World Food Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and Rise Against Hunger, are working to address hunger and malnutrition in the country.

Angola has the potential to improve its food security by utilizing its abundant natural resources and developing its agricultural sector. However, it needs to address the challenges of poverty, inequality, and the impacts of climate change to ensure food security for its growing population.

Angola's rural economy

Angola has a vast amount of cropland, with approximately 58 million hectares of agricultural land, including 35 million hectares of arable land. The country's rural economy has been heavily impacted by the Angolan Civil War (1975-2002), which resulted in the deterioration of the farming sector and a shift towards subsistence farming. Since the end of the war, Angola's agriculture sector has been expanding due to foreign investment. However, the return to productivity in rural areas has been challenging and slow.

One of the major issues facing rural Angola is the presence of landmines, which render large areas of land unsuitable for cultivation. Additionally, there is limited functioning infrastructure in these areas, and few incentives exist for people to return to farming. As a result, only 2.9 million hectares of available agricultural land were cultivated between 2003 and 2004. Agriculture, including forestry and fisheries, contributes about 8% to the country's gross domestic product (GDP).

Despite these challenges, Angola has the potential to be a rich agricultural country. The country has fertile soils, a favourable climate, and abundant water resources. Before independence from Portugal in 1975, Angola had a flourishing tradition of family-based farming and was self-sufficient in all major food crops except wheat. The country exported coffee, maize, sisal, bananas, tobacco, and cassava. However, by the 1990s, agricultural production had declined significantly, with Angola producing less than 1% of the volume of coffee it had produced in the early 1970s.

To revive the rural economy, the Angolan government has implemented various initiatives. They have established the National Development Plan for 2018-2022, with a focus on agricultural development to diversify the economy and build domestic food production capacity. The government has also issued the Presidential Decree, PAPE (Action Plan for Employability Promotion), which aims to increase local production and create jobs. Additionally, they are working with multilateral development banks, such as the World Bank and the African Development Bank, on projects to promote commercial agriculture and smallholder agricultural development.

While Angola's rural economy faces challenges, the country has the potential to develop a strong agricultural sector with the right investments, infrastructure improvements, and support for farmers.

Angola's land rights

The 2004 Land Act was a crucial step towards normalising land ownership in post-war Angola. This law included a formal possibility of transforming customary land rights into legal rights. However, issues such as competing land claims, land grabbing, and the unresolved status of customary land tenure persist.

Most Angolans hold their land under customary law, and few have rights recognised under formal law. Customary law holds that land is regarded as owned by a universal deity and the ancestors of living occupants. It is held by a community or individuals within a community and administered for the benefit of the community by a traditional leader or village elder (soba).

The government's recent efforts to attract foreign investors into the agriculture sector reflect its recognition of the importance of developing the non-oil economy and bringing new capital and technology into the sector. However, issues of land rights and tenure security remain a significant challenge.

The Ministry of Agriculture, formerly the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, is responsible for the administration of rural land, while the Ministry of Urbanism and Housing oversees urban land matters. The National Institute of Geography and Cadastre (IGCA) is tasked with creating and maintaining land records, and the National Institute of Spatial Planning and Urban Development (INOTU) sets planning and development standards.

The government has also established several target areas for agricultural production development, including stimulating beef production and increasing corn production capacity to meet domestic demand.

While Angola has the potential to be a rich agricultural country, with fertile soils and a favourable climate, its agricultural sector has been struggling to recover from the civil war. Large areas of land cannot be cultivated due to landmines, and there is a lack of infrastructure and incentives for people to return to farming.

To address these challenges, the government has implemented various programmes and initiatives, such as the National Development Plan for 2018-2022, which focuses on agricultural development to diversify the economy and build domestic food production capacity. The government has also engaged with multilateral development banks to provide loans to the private sector for agriculture, livestock, fisheries, and agro-processing.

Overall, Angola's land rights remain a complex and ongoing issue, with tensions between those holding formal tenure rights and those with customary or informally acquired rights. The government continues to work towards improving land governance and resolving resource conflicts to maintain post-conflict peace and stability.

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