Abstract

Agriculture has historically been the most important sector of Mozambique's economy, providing the primary source of income for nearly 69% of the active labor force. However, nearly five decades after independence, agriculture remains dominated by subsistence-oriented smallholder farmers (SHFs). Over the years, the sector has undergone various government agendas focused on reducing poverty through enhanced agriculture productivity, a strategy considered relevant for achieving sustainable development in similar economies. This context is shared by many developing countries in the Sub-Saharan region. This research analyzes signals from agriculture and labor participation in Mozambique's agricultural landscape. Understanding these signals is crucial for evaluating and realigning policy interventions to accelerate agricultural transformation in Mozambique and similar economies. The study employs an explanatory trend analysis, examining subsistence-oriented crops, traditional cash crops, and emerging cash crops segments. The study analysis covers annual data from national agricultural surveys from 2002 to 2020. The findings suggest that the overall agriculture sector is experiencing a decline, with the exception of emerging cash crops. However, the percentage of SHFs engaged in this segment remains low. This study advocates for rethinking public support to agriculture, focusing on capitalizing on emerging trends while consolidating and addressing the free-rider problem in traditional cropping segments.

Key words: Agriculture landscape, trends, Mozambique, policy.