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Convergence of per capita incomes and agricultural productivity in Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Angela Lusigi

    (Department of Agricultural and Food Economics, University of Reading, UK)

  • Jenifer Piesse

    (Department of Management, Birkbeck College, University of London, UK)

  • Colin Thirtle

    (Department of Agricultural and Food Economics, University of Reading, UK)

Abstract

This study is an investigation of convergence in per capita incomes and total factor productivity (TFP) for agriculture in the African continent. The concept of convergence, which is a basic prediction of the neoclassical growth model, has been shown to have considerable explanatory power. Here, the hypotheses of absolute and conditional convergence are tested for incomes and agricultural TFP using a panel of data for 32 African countries. Two methods of testing for convergence are applied. Both show that for this sample, conditional &bgr; convergence holds for the two growth measures and that education and investment appear to be the most important conditioning variables. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • Angela Lusigi & Jenifer Piesse & Colin Thirtle, 1998. "Convergence of per capita incomes and agricultural productivity in Africa," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 10(1), pages 105-115.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jintdv:v:10:y:1998:i:1:p:105-115
    DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1099-1328(199801)10:1<105::AID-JID503>3.0.CO;2-T
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Oliver K. Kirui & Lukas Kornher & Maksud Bekchanov, 2023. "Productivity growth and the role of mechanisation in African agriculture," Agrekon, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 62(1), pages 80-97, January.
    2. Kutub Uddin & Zohurul Anis & Muhammad Jakir Hossain & Zohurul Islam Shamol, 2016. "Examining Convergence in Per Capita Agricultural Production across Selected Asian countries," International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 6(10), pages 178-194, October.
    3. Juan Carlos Odar Zagaceta, 2002. "Convergencia y polarización. El caso Peruano: 1961 - 1996," Estudios de Economia, University of Chile, Department of Economics, vol. 29(1 Year 20), pages 47-70, June.
    4. Vaseem Akram & Jabir Ali, 2021. "Output convergence at sector level across Indian states: Evidence from weak sigma and club convergence analysis," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(7), pages 1166-1188, October.
    5. John Ssozi & Simplice A. Asongu, 2016. "The Comparative Economics of Catch-up in Output per Worker, Total Factor Productivity and Technological Gain in Sub-Saharan Africa," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 28(2), pages 215-228, June.
    6. Zhang, Dongyang & Bai, Dingchuan & Wang, Cao & He, Yurun, 2024. "Distribution dynamics and quantile dynamic convergence of the digital economy: Prefecture-level evidence in China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 95(PA).
    7. Lusigi, Angela & McDonald, Scott & Roberts, Jennifer R. & Thirtle, Colin G., 2000. "Is African agriculture converging? Evidence from a panel of crop yields," Agrekon, Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA), vol. 39(1), pages 1-12, March.
    8. Thirtle, Colin & Piesse, Jenifer & Lusigi, Angela & Suhariyanto, Kecuk, 2003. "Multi-factor agricultural productivity, efficiency and convergence in Botswana, 1981-1996," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(2), pages 605-624, August.
    9. Nazrul Islam, 2003. "What have We Learnt from the Convergence Debate?," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 17(3), pages 309-362, July.
    10. Magalhaes, Eduardo & Diao, Xinshen, 2009. "Productivity convergence in Brazil: The case of grain production," IFPRI discussion papers 857, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    11. Kecuk Suhariyanto & Colin Thirtle, 2001. "Asian Agricultural Productivity and Convergence," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(3), pages 96-110, September.
    12. Siqueira De Castro, L., 2018. "Recent panorama of sugarcane in Brazil: aspects of spatial convergence in production," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 276014, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    13. Sergio J. Rey & Mark V. Janikas, 2005. "Regional convergence, inequality, and space," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 5(2), pages 155-176, April.
    14. Sousa, Cândido T. & Pereira, Elisabeth T., 2012. "A Contribution to the Empirics of Convergence: the Case of the European State Members," MPRA Paper 62017, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    15. Lindikaya W. Myeki & Yonas T. Bahta & Nicolette Matthews, 2022. "Exploring the Growth of Agricultural Productivity in AFRICA: A Färe-Primont Index Approach," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-17, August.
    16. Murthy, N. R. Vasudeva & Ukpolo, Victor, 1999. "A test of the conditional convergence hypothesis: econometric evidence from African countries," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 65(2), pages 249-253, November.
    17. Sergio J. Rey & Mark V. Janikas, 2003. "Convergence and space," Urban/Regional 0311002, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 16 Nov 2003.

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