Agricultural mechanization in Africa: Myths, realities and an emerging research agenda

Across Africa, governments, development practitioners and private companies have rediscovered agricultural mechanization as a top priority. In the literature, however, mechanization has largely been neglected following the earlier failures of state-led mechanization programs. In this empirical vacuum, several popular propositions have emerged, such as "mechanization leads to unemployment". We examine nine such propositions and find that most of them are based on mixed evidence or not supported by evidence at all. Hence, they can be labeled "myths". Such myths influence policies and programs and, thus, potentially undermine the potential contribution offered by agricultural mechanization in Africa to global food security. We propose a research agenda that aims to resolve controversies and support evidence-based policies for sustainable and inclusive agricultural mechanization.