The research project ‘Medium-Scale Farmers in Rural Africa’, led by Professor Dr Clemens Greiner and Professor Dr Michael Bollig from the Global South Studies Center (GSSC), will receive approximately 1.6 million euros in funding from the Volkswagen Foundation. The research team is investigating the emergence of medium-scale farms in parts of rural Africa since the 2000s. This phenomenon is often based on domestic entrepreneurs investing their non-agricultural, urban capital in farms. The researchers are investigating the impact on the rural population, impoverishment and inequality, as well as social, economic and political implications. 
Clemens Greiner argues that so far, there has been too little research into the phenomenon of medium-scale farms in Africa. Currently, there are two opposing perspectives in the academic literature: On the one hand, a new generation of educated entrepreneurs is considered to boost agricultural production, thus reducing poverty and contributing to economic growth. On the other hand, this phenomenon is associated with the rise of a wealthy and politically well-connected urban elite that is commercializing common land and making speculative investments at the expense of the poor rural population. 
According to Greiner, there is a lack of empirical case studies for a fundamental understanding: “With our project, we want to help close this gap by focussing on actor strategies and taking into account variables such as urban-rural relationships or agricultural value chains that influence the impact of wealth on the affected rural societies.”

The Rector of the University of Cologne, Professor Dr Joybrato Mukherjee, is pleased about the funding: “This is great news. The project is part of the important Key Profile Area ‘Global South Studies’ at our university, which brings together academic projects on cultural, social and economic changes in the Global South. I would like to thank the Volkswagen Foundation for its support of this project and congratulate our researchers.”
Other cooperation partners are also involved in the project: Professor Dr Kojo Amanor, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana; Professor Dr Emmanuel Sulle, Aga Khan University, Arusha, Tanzania; Professor Dr Ruth Hall, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa. 

The interdisciplinary research team combines anthropological and political-economic approaches while joining the resources of four universities in order to investigate the phenomenon in a participatory and equal manner at research locations in Namibia, Ghana and Tanzania. In addition to academic publications, a broad research communication programme is planned, including blog posts, podcasts, animated videos and policy briefs. 
The GSSC is a globally connected, interdisciplinary research hub on topics such as migration, sustainability and infrastructure in Africa, Asia and Latin America, with a particular focus on human-environment relationships. It also provides a support structure for research projects and aims to make research results accessible not only to experts but also to the general public. The GSSC is one of eight Key Profile Areas (KPAs) at the University of Cologne. KPAs are thematically defined research areas of high academic and/or social relevance.
 

Media Contact:
Professor Dr Clemens Greiner
Global South Studies Center, University of Cologne
+49 221 470 76654
clemens.greineruni-koeln.de

Press and Communications Team:
Robert Hahn
+49 221 470 2396
r.hahnverw.uni-koeln.de