Abstract
This article assesses the impact of drugs on agricultural production, trade and livelihoods more broadly by focussing on cannabis and khat in Lesotho, Nigeria and Kenya. It actively engages with research that has recently begun to explore the links between drugs and development in Africa and challenges some of its key assumptions. It argues that based on the available empirical evidence, the causalities between drugs and underdevelopment are not always apparent. It proposes a more nuanced understanding of the economic impact of cannabis and khat and shows how they have provided farmers and entrepreneurs with opportunities not readily available in difficult economic environments.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 174-189 |
Number of pages | 16 |
Journal | Review of African Political Economy |
Volume | 43 |
Issue number | 148 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2 Apr 2016 |
Keywords
- cannabis
- development
- drugs
- khat
Fingerprint
Dive into the research topics of 'Illicit livelihoods: drug crops and development in Africa'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Profiles
-
Dr Neil C M Carrier
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology - Associate Professor in Social Anthropology
- Migration Mobilities Bristol
Person: Academic , Member