Poverty and Agriculture in Southern Africa Revisited: A Panel Causality Perspective

Agricultural advancement is considered a panacea for poverty reduction, particularly, in developing countries. This study empirically investigates the dynamic linkage between agricultural value added (AVA) and poverty reduction for a panel of nine countries in Southern Africa using a second-generation panel approach for the period 1990 to 2015. Empirical results show that agricultural development is necessary but not a sufficient policy to combat poverty as it is only viable in the short run. Thus, we suggest long-run economic programs and/or strategies that will complement agricultural development toward poverty alleviation to spur economic growth in the sampled region.