The implications of Korea’s experience for developing agriculture value chains in Africa
Sub-Saharan African countries have been seeking ways to improve their economies, particularly as problems of malnutrition, poverty, and unemployment continue to plague the people. The challenges that most of the countries face on the continent resemble the challenges that some of the Asian countries have faced. South Korea (hereinafter, Korea), in particular, fundamentally faced similar issues in the 1950s and the 1960s. However, Korea was able to overcome these challenges and not only attain self-sufficiency in staple cereals but has developed into an economic powerhouse. This study traces the success factors in the path of Korea’s agriculture development in three chronological stages: the quest for rice self-sufficiency period (1962-1977), the post-rice self-sufficiency period (1978-1994), and the period of the enhancement of global competitiveness (1995-present).
