Social Impact Investing, Agriculture, and the Financialisation of Development: Insights From Sub-saharan Africa

This paper investigates the influence of social impact investing (SII) on agricultural development in sub-Saharan Africa. It examines key actors, their motivations, how social impact is defined and operationalised, and the narratives that construct African agriculture as an investment site. The study, using a cultural political economy approach, reveals that while extensive agricultural ventures can yield favorable financial and societal outcomes in regions with strong land governance, their environmental ramifications often cause more harm than good.