Africa - escaping the primary commodities dilemma

This volume XI of the African Development Perspectives Yearbook on AFRICA - ESCAPING THE PRIMARY COMMODITIES DILEMMA presents and analyses policy-oriented papers, development projections, and proposals of how to overcome African countries' dependence on few primary commodities. The relevance of the issue to escape the primary commodity trap and to diversify into new products and markets is without doubt one of the major challenges for African countries. In the era of globalisation and increasing international competition it has however become much more difficult for African countries to diversify into new products and processes and to enter new niche markets successfully. This Volume XI of the Yearbook discusses the state of primary commodity dependence of African countries by analytical surveys based on examples of countries, sectors and products. Options for horizontal and vertical diversification are analysed by detailed case studies, and supply- and demand-side constraints for successful diversification efforts are elaborated. Successful cases of diversification and upgrading activities are presented, possibilities to improve the position of countries and firms in the global value chain are outlined, and options for primary commodity producers to use their resources for successful diversification are discussed for the countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Book Reviews and Book Notes are included, and News and Information follow with up-to-date entries. This volume builds the foundation for a comprehensive strategy of policy reforms in Africa of how to escape the primary commodities dilemma. Complementary to this volume XI is volume XII on AFRICA - COMMODITY DEPENDENCE, RESOURCE CURSE AND EXPORT DIVERSIFICATION. Both volumes are of use for all who work in African countries as officials, executives, managers, researchers, and policy-makers, but also for all those in the world-wide donor community who actively support Africa's development concerns at the international, regional, country, local and project levels. Development practitioners, government officials, business executives, and development researchers as well as media people will experience this volume XI and also the complementary volume XII as indispensable sources of insight, reference and inspiration.