OECD Trade Policy Papers

ISSN :
1816-6873 (online)
DOI :
10.1787/18166873
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This series is designed to make available to a wider readership selected trade policy studies prepared for use within the OECD.

NB. No. 1 to No. 139 were released under the previous series title OECD Trade Policy Working Papers.

 

Agricultural Trade and Employment in South Africa You or your institution have access to this content

Authors:
Ron Sandrey1, Cecilia Punt2, Hans Grinsted Jensen2, Nick Vink3
Author Affiliations
  • 1: TRALAC (Trade Law Centre for Southern Africa), South Africa

  • 2: National Agricultural Marketing Council, South Africa

  • 3: University of Stellenbosch, South Africa

Publication Date
19 Oct 2011
Bibliographic information
No.:
130
Pages
34
DOI
10.1787/5kg3nh58nvq1-en

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This report provides an overview of policy changes in South African agriculture over the past three decades, and of some of the associated impacts on output, trade patterns and employment. In agriculture, the story is one of widespread substitution of labour for capital. While the sector has shed more than a million jobs over the past four decades, the paper highlights its continuing role as an employment creator in rural areas, albeit mainly in low-wage occupations. As for its principal analytical contribution, this paper considers future trade liberalisation in the agricultural sector. Using two different economic models, we find a remarkably consistent pattern whereby agricultural trade liberalisation in the region is predicted to increase agricultural employment.
Keywords:
wages, inclusive growth, employment, trade
JEL Classification:
  • F16: International Economics / Trade / Trade and Labor Market Interactions