The Role Of Macroeconomic Policy Towards Food Security In Botswana

Abstract

Macroeconomic policy plays an important role towards the attainment of food security in Botswana because the country is a high cost production area, due to very low, erratic and unreliable rainfall and soils generally not conducive for agricultural production and a small population of 1.7 million sparsely distributed over the land area similar to the size of Kenya or France. Botswana has a 39.5 months import cover from its foreign reserves, has maintained low inflation rates over the last five years, and a progressive tax system allowing low income groups access to relatively higher net incomes. Rapid urbanisation has resulted in significant amount of waste water worth reusing in emerging agricultural potential areas. Higher incomes have boosted demand for less land extensive agricultural activities like poultry and dairy farming. Land use planning for potential areas may be reassessed to include incentives for best uses of land to enhance production and generate employment.