Does the relative size of agricultural exports matter for sustainable development? Evidence from Sub-Sahara Africa
Loading...
Date
2025-01-06
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier
Abstract
This study investigates the effect of the relative size of agricultural exports on sustainable development across 46
sub-Saharan African countries between 1999 and 2020. Using data on adjusted net savings and sustainable
development indices as proxies for sustainable development, the empirical analysis applies the Driscoll-Kraay
standard error method which accounts for cross-sectional dependence. The results indicate that the relative
size of agricultural exports has a positive effect on sustainable development while agricultural non-export pro
duction is found to contribute more to sustainable development than agricultural exports. Given agriculture’s
dominance and the agro-based export potential for these economies, the study recommends pro-agricultural
export policies aimed at expanding agricultural exports over non-agricultural exports if the choice is between
exporting agricultural commodities and exporting non-agricultural commodities. However, the import substi
tution strategy should be prioritized over the agricultural export promotion strategy when choosing between
exporting agricultural commodities and producing for domestic consumption for higher sustainable outcomes.