Agricultural Productivity In Sub-Saharan Africa Research Articles

Agrobiodiversity Conservation Policies: Insights from an Integrated Micro-macro Economic Model in Ethiopia

AbstractNational strategies aiming to enhance agricultural productivity in sub-Saharan Africa have traditionally focused on encouraging the adoption of improved modern crop varieties. This approach led to genetic erosion and reduced option value for bioprospecting, an unintended consequence of the decline of locally conserved traditional varieties. Governments are often left with poor guidance to evaluate the costs and benefits of this strategy. In this paper, we propose a methodological framework for assessing agricultural policies based on local agrobiodiversity conservation. In particular, we modify a computable general equilibrium model with trade to account for the land allocated to traditional and improved modern varieties as input for the agricultural sector. As a case study we select the Ethiopian durum wheat. Several sources of data at macro, micro and agronomic levels are adopted to estimate parameters and economic effects. Accounting for climate change and technological projections up to 2050, results of a counterfactual scenario show that when policy-driven breeding programs in specific agroecological niches are implemented, they simultaneously achieves conservation and food production goals. The findings underscore the need for policy interventions aimed at promoting context-specific strategies that consider conservation and production objectives within the broader agricultural landscape.

How do financial inclusion and bank stability explain agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa?

PurposeThis study aims to examine the impact of financial inclusion and bank stability on agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).Design/methodology/approachThe study used 38 countries in the SSA with data spanning between 2004 and 2021. The data were analyzed using the two-step system generalized method of moments (GMM) and the panel-corrected standard error (PCSE) model.FindingsThe study found a positive effect of financial inclusion and bank stability on agricultural productivity. The study also discovered that while the access component of financial inclusion has a negative influence on agricultural productivity, the usage dimension has a positive impact.Research limitations/implicationsThe study suggests to policymakers that an inclusive and stable financial system improves agricultural productivity. The findings recommend that policymakers should empower farmers to leverage financial inclusion.Originality/valueThis study provides insightful discussion on the impact of financial inclusion and its various dimensions and bank stability on agricultural productivity in SSA.

Financial Proximity and Agricultural Productivity: New Evidence from Sub-Saharan African Countries

ABSTRACT: Agriculture plays a vital role in driving economic output and employment in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. Despite some progress, agricultural productivity in SSA still lags behind other regions. Limited access to finance remains a significant impediment to improving agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa. This paper investigates the effect of financial proximity on agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan African countries. The study primarily employs the system GMM estimator, chosen to address the endogeneity issue typical in macro panel data. This method is also well-suited to our study because it accommodates a high number of cross-sections relative to the number of periods within each cross-section. Additionally, the IV-2SLS method is employed to check the robustness of the findings. The study uses an unbalanced panel for the 36 African countries with data for the period 2004-2019. Our findings show that increasing the financial proximity favors agricultural productivity in SSA countries. Specifically, the number of commercial bank branches (CBB) and the number of automated teller machines (ATM) per 100 000 adults, as indicators of financial proximity, have positive and significant effects on agricultural value added per worker in SSA. Additionally, our findings show that rainfall, arable land, and institutional quality are robust determinants of agricultural productivity. The positive effects of the number of CBB and the number of ATM are even more pronounced on agricultural productivity when coupled with strong institutional quality. Our findings suggest that improving financial services' accessibility in rural areas, coupled with enhanced institutional quality, regular rainfall, ample arable land, and increased access to water and land, are pivotal steps for achieving sustainable enhancements in labor productivity. This, in turn, leads to increased returns through value-added growth and expanded employment in the agricultural sector.

Connecting the fields: How ICT improve agricultural productivity in sub‐Saharan Africa

AbstractThis study seeks to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the influence of information and communication technology (ICT) on agricultural productivity in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA), both through direct and indirect mechanisms. Utilizing data gathered from a sample of 20 sub‐Saharan African nations spanning the period from 1995 to 2014, we employ a rigorous examination through static and dynamic panel models. Our findings robustly indicate a substantial and positive impact stemming from the presence of mobile phones and internet coverage on agricultural productivity in the region. Furthermore, we uncover the indirect effects of ICT, notably through its influence on farmers' education levels and their access to essential agricultural inputs, such as fertilizers. To validate the robustness of our results, we additionally establish a positive and statistically significant association between an ICT adoption index and agricultural productivity in SSA. In light of these findings, we recommend the prioritization of strategies aimed at fortifying the adoption of communication technologies within the agricultural sector. In addition, efforts should be directed toward enhancing farmers' education and improving access to fertilizers, leveraging the potential of ICT tools as key enablers in this process.

Usage of Agroecological Climate-Smart Agriculture Practices among Sorghum and Maize Smallholder Farmers in Semi-Arid Areas in Tanzania

Climate change variability and its impact on agricultural production in sub-Saharan Africa pose a significant challenge to food security. In Tanzania's semi-arid regions, there is growing concern regarding the use of agroecological Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices by smallholder farmers that adhere to agroecological principles. This study aimed to investigate the use of agroecological CSA practices among smallholder farmers in Tanzania's semi-arid regions, specifically in Dodoma and Tabora regions. In addition, this study sought to identify the key factors influencing the use of these practices to enhance food security, income, and climate resilience. Data were collected from 299 households in Dodoma and Tabora using various methods including questionnaire surveys, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews. Binary logistic regression was used to analyse factors influencing the usage of agroecological climate-smart agriculture practices. The findings revealed that most households in the study area use agroecological CSA practices. These practices include cereal-legume intercropping, mixed cropping, crop residue retention, crop rotation, and improved seed variety. Water harvesting, terraces, and cover crops were not used by many households. Several factors positively influenced the use of agroecological CSA. They include assistance from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), training in CSA practices, drought perception, access to credit, distance to market, membership in an organisation, education level of the household head, and total household income. To promote the use of agroecological CSA practices, both governments and NGOs should prioritise training programs. Moreover, providing frequent extension services and facilitating easier access to credit for farmers can further support the widespread use of these practices. In doing so, local communities can adapt better to the challenges of climate change, ensuring improved food security and climate resilience in the region

Yield advantage and profitability of selected climate-smart technologies: Findings from demonstration plots in Northern Uganda

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is viewed as a potentially effective intervention to address low agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), while strengthening farmers’ capacity to adapt to the effects of climate change. We therefore conducted a study to examine maize yield response to three CSA practices – ripping, permanent planting basins and alley cropping. The profitability of their use with and without fertiliser application was also evaluated. It was deduced from the study that ripping, planting basins and alley cropping with Gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium) gave the greatest yield advantageof 457.1 kg/acre, 456.7 kg/acre and 437.2 kg/acre respectively. Fertiliser application significantly increased the yield advantage, but this increment did not necessarily translate into cost-effectiveness due to the associated costs. In fact, minimum tillage interventions were more profitable without fertiliser application, and at some locations responded poorly to fertiliser application. These variable responses indicate the need for developing site-specific CSA interventions for improved maize productivity and profitability.

Empirical Analysis of the Role of Population Mutations on Agricultural Productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa

This paper aims to analyze the role of population growth in the explanation of agricultural productivity in the context of Sub-Saharan African countries. Based on available data, we collected data on a sample of 24 Sub-Saharan African countries over the period 2000-2018. The empirical method consists of estimating an agricultural production function in turn by Generalized Least Squares (GMM) estimators on panel data and Generalized Moments (GLS) estimators in system. The results suggest that pesticide use is positively and significantly correlated (at the 1% threshold) with agricultural productivity in SSA. They also show that life expectancy at birth positively and significantly explain agricultural productivity in SSA. This means that the larger the population, the more important agricultural productivity is. The rural population is negatively correlated with agricultural productivity, reducing agricultural employment as rural populations migrate in search of better living conditions. We therefore suggest that African governments step up financial support programs for young people to limit the brain drain and encourage agricultural employment.

Toward a better understanding of the environmental impacts of expanding farmer-led irrigation in Sub-Saharan Africa: an exploratory assessment of irrigation-induced risk of nutrient water pollution in Ethiopia

Irrigation, and especially farmer-led irrigation, is considered to be a promising option for enhancing agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, there is a lack of thorough understanding of the impacts of irrigation development on environment. Past discussions are mainly limited to the water depletion and hydrological regime change effect of irrigation. This paper presents a study to narrow the knowledge gap by assessing nutrient water pollution risk induced by the expansion of farmer-led irrigation in Ethiopia. Using household survey data collected from four woredas in Ethiopia where irrigated crop production currently concentrates, we first evaluate the impact of irrigation on cropping intensity and annual consumption level of fertilizers and then use the findings of the household survey data analysis to support conceptualization of a modeling framework for assessing agricultural nutrient water pollution risk from farmer-led irrigation development in Ethiopia at national scale. We project that overall farmer-led irrigation development in Ethiopia will lead to a gentle increase in national total of agricultural nutrient loadings. This result helps justify the endeavor of promoting farmer-led irrigation in Ethiopia. On the other hand, the projected nutrient flow and nutrient loading growth rate related to the farmer-led irrigation expansion are highly heterogeneous spatially, and risk of local water quality deterioration exists. There is still need to make investment to ensure the environmental sustainability of farmer-led irrigation development.

Economic Impact of Climate Change on Agricultural Production in Sub-Saharan Africa

Agriculture is the main livelihood in Sub-Saharan Africa, but land degradation due to improper agricultural practices and climate change seriously causes a decline in yields. Climate change impacts agricultural production directly through temperature levels and water availability, and indirectly through its impact on disease vectors and pests. This paper investigates the economic impact of climate change on agricultural production in sub-Saharan Africa. Country-level panel data of sub-Saharan African countries are used to analyze the impact of temperature and precipitation on agricultural production. Deviations in temperature and precipitation from their long-term average are used in agricultural production models. The results indicate that a slight deviation in temperature from its long-term average impacts agricultural production positively and significantly, while its larger deviations affect production negatively. Both the slight and large deviation in precipitation impact agricultural production negatively and significantly. All agricultural production input variables have significant effects on agricultural production in the region. The study concludes by forwarding useful recommendations that base appropriate ecosystem management and production systems. The findings imply that the impact of climate change on agriculture is detrimental. To overcome the impact of climate change, the study suggests appropriate land use policy formulation, natural resource conservation, implementing best agronomic practices, and maintaining the population at an optimum level in the region.

Energy poverty, environmental degradation and agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa

ABSTRACT Agricultural productivity remains pivotal to the sustenance of the economies and livelihoods of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries. Given the emerging threat of energy and environmental uncertainties globally, this study makes a foray into understanding the link among energy poverty, environmental degradation and agricultural productivity in 35 SSA nations in particular, and the nature of their impacts across the sub-region constituents namely; the Central, Eastern, Western and Southern sub-regional blocs in general. To begin, our identified variables comprised of the following: Energy Poverty Index, derived using the principal component analysis, agricultural value added as a share of GDP served as a measure of agricultural productivity and ecological footprint to represent environmental degradation. Subsequently, the instrumental variable generalized method of moment (IV‐GMM) technique was implemented for the aggregate SSA model, while the IV-two stage least square technique was adopted for the sub-regional estimations for the Central, East, West and South African blocs respectively. Major findings from the SSA model revealed that whereas the index of energy poverty has a significant positive influence, ecological footprint exhibited an inverse and significant impact on agricultural productivity, while the Central, East, West and South African models yielded mixed results given regional disparities in economic development, regional variations in agricultural productivity and an imbalance of available resources. Policy recommendations were suggested to, among other things, transform the energy, environmental and agricultural fortunes of the region.

Adoption Patterns and Intensity for Multiple BananaTechnologies in Uganda

The adoption of improved technologies is widely recognized as key to improving agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study analyzes adoption patterns and intensity of multiple banana technologies in Uganda which have been promoted over time. We used primary data collected from 383 banana farmers sampled using a multi-stage sampling procedure. Multivariate probit (MVP) and ordered probit analyses were applied to establish the adoption patterns and adoption intensity, respectively, and any factors affecting them. The findings highlight that 15 pairwise correlation coefficients among banana technologies were statistically significant implying that banana farmers adopt technologies simultaneously. The household size, total banana area, ecological location, membership to farmer groups, access to formal credit sources, and the type of market accessed had significant effects on household adoption patterns and intensity. Thus, it is recommended that such factors should be seriously considered in addition to technology characteristics when planning promotion programs. Simultaneous adoption implies that each of the technologies should be considered as a package which contributes to the increased farmer options and maximum synergistic effects among them. This study contributes to the existing literature by highlighting the key variables which affect the pattern and intensity of adopting technological packages involving both input intensification and low-external-input technologies in Uganda.

The impact of climate change on the efficiency of agricultural production in the world's main agricultural regions

Climate change has had a significant impact on global agricultural production. Hence, studying the impact of climate change on the efficiency of agricultural production has become crucial in helping major agricultural regions around the world adopt novel technologies to improve the adaptability of agricultural production. The efficiency of agricultural production can also be improved, and global food safety can be ensured at the same time. This paper used data collected from 43 countries around the world from 1992 to 2018. The data envelopment analysis-Malmquist model was used to estimate agricultural productivity with and without the presence of climate factors, and data comparison and analysis were performed among years and regions. The results show that climate factors can overestimate agricultural productivity. On the whole, climate factors have a positive impact on agricultural production in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America and a negative impact in other areas. In addition, the impact of climate change on technical progress is greater than the impact on technical efficiency. According to the results, this paper finds that relevant departments should pay attention to the development of agricultural technology under climate change and should carry out suitable management based on geographical location and climate conditions. In summary, the research methods and results of this article provide a reference for the progress of agricultural production under global climate change.

Soybean-Nodulating Rhizobia: Ecology, Characterization, Diversity, and Growth Promoting Functions

The worldwide increase in population continues to threaten the sustainability of agricultural systems since agricultural output must be optimized to meet the global rise in food demand. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is among the regions with a fast-growing population but decreasing crop productivity. Pests and diseases, as well as inadequate nitrogen (N) levels in soils, are some of the biggest restrictions to agricultural production in SSA. N is one of the most important plant-limiting elements in agricultural soils, and its deficit is usually remedied by using nitrogenous fertilizers. However, indiscriminate use of these artificial N fertilizers has been linked to environmental pollution calling for alternative N fertilization mechanisms. Soybean (Glycine max) is one of the most important legumes in the world. Several species of rhizobia from the four genera,Bardyrhizobium, Rhizobium, Mesorhizobium, andEnsifer(formerlySinorhizobium), are observed to effectively fix N with soybean as well as perform various plant-growth promoting (PGP) functions. The efficiency of the symbiosis differs with the type of rhizobia species, soybean cultivar, and biotic factors. Therefore, a complete understanding of the ecology of indigenous soybean-nodulating rhizobia concerning their genetic diversity and the environmental factors associated with their localization and dominance in the soil is important. This review aimed to understand the potential of indigenous soybean-nodulating rhizobia through a synthesis of the literature regarding their characterization using different approaches, genetic diversity, symbiotic effectiveness, as well as their functions in biological N fixation (BNF) and biocontrol of soybean soil-borne pathogens.

Développement financier et productivité agricole en Afrique subsaharienne

Cet article évalue les relations de causalité entre développement financier et productivité agricole en Afrique subsaharienne et dans les zones d'intégration économique de 1990 à 2020. La méthodologie utilisée repose sur le modèle ARDL avec l'estimateur PMG et un test de causalité en panel. Les résultats révèlent que le développement financier a un effet positif à long terme mais négatif à court terme sur la productivité agricole aussi bien en Afrique subsaharienne que dans l'UEMOA. Cependant, l'analyse par zone montre qu'à court terme, le développement financier diminue la productivité agricole dans la SADC. Ils montrent aussi qu'il existe une causalité bidirectionnelle entre le développement financier et la productivité agricole en ASS. Cette situation nécessite donc la construction d'un système financier efficace et adapté aux réalités du monde agricole.

Do Labour and Political Will Affect Agricultural Output?

Agriculture has been at the forefront in employment creation and revenue generation in Africa until there was a shift from the sector to the non-farm or service industry which threatens the economic sustenance despite the growing population of youth in the region. The neglect of the agricultural sector resulted from labour migration and lack of political will in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), which has severe implications on agricultural output. This study, however, investigated the nexus among labour, political will and agricultural production in SSA from 1998 – 2018 using the dynamic System – GMM estimation technique. The study found employment in the agricultural sector, agricultural raw material, exchange rate, political will, and agricultural material and exchange rate interaction significantly influenced agricultural output in SSA. Therefore, it is recommended that for SSA future to be sustained, the governments should discourage labour migration from the agricultural sector through government supports to boost employment and poverty reduction.

What innovations impact agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa?

This study explores innovation characteristics that impact agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa. The two-ways fixed effects approach is applied to a sample of 22 Sub-Saharan African countries from the 1996 to 2014 period. The results show that, among yield-increasing innovations, fertilizer's constituents have a mitigated impact on agricultural productivity. Whereas, a one-point increase in the application of pesticides and irrigation practice will increase agricultural productivity by 0.08 and 0.0005, respectively. The profit-enhancing innovation includes crop diversification, and one point increase of this factor will augment agricultural productivity by 0.017 and 0.03, with respect to country specific effects. As regard cost-reducing innovations (labor-saving), only tractors and harvesting machines are found to have a significant and positive effect on agricultural productivity. So then, implications for public policies are discussed accordingly.

Has mobile phone technology aided the growth of agricultural productivity in sub-Saharan Africa?

Background: A recent increase in the adoption of mobile phone technology generated a great deal of interest and optimism regarding its effect on economic development in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), particularly on the enhancement of agricultural development.Aim: In this study the impact of mobile phone technology on agricultural productivity in SSA is examined.Setting: The empirical assessment uses a panel data set covering 41 countries over a period of 25 years.Methods: We employed an econometric approach and panel data covering 41 countries and a 25 year-period (1990–2014) to investigate the effect of the adoption of mobile phone technology and other socio-economic variables on agricultural total factor productivity (TFP). The use of regression analyses allowed us to estimate and measure the contribution of certain variables to agricultural TFP growth in SSA.Results: The results show that the uptake of mobile phone technology had a positive effect on agricultural TFP growth in SSA.Conclusion: Mobile phone technology has been established to be one of the drivers of agricultural productivity in SSA.Implication: The implications of this study are that governments, NGOs, and businesses working on improving agricultural productivity and food security in SSA need to continue endorsing mobile technology as a means to improve agricultural productivity.

Recent changes in cropland area and productivity indicate unsustainable cropland expansion in Malawi

Cropland expansion is a common strategy for boosting agricultural production in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) even though it often leads to economic, environmental, and social trade-offs. Ensuring sustainable cropland use and their management is critical for improving food security and preserving ecosystem services. To develop policies and approaches that support sustainable cropland management at national and sub-national scales, there is a need to understand the spatial distribution of cropland expansion (/loss), and any resultant changes in cropland productivity. This is especially important in SSA countries such as Malawi, where spatially explicit assessments of changes in cropland area and cropland productivity are lacking. To address this gap in Malawi, we used multi-source satellite data and socio-economic data, combined with satellite image classification and trend analysis, firstly to quantify spatial changes in cropland area and productivity, and secondly to evaluate potentially available cropland for future expansion. We found evidence of unsustainable cropland use in Malawi, which was demonstrated by: (a) rapid cropland expansion between 2010 and 2019 (increase 8.5% of land area), characterized by an expansion of crop farming into upland areas which indicate increased land scarcity in Malawi; (b) limited potential for future expansion, as approximately only 5% of the total land remained as potentially available cropland (corresponding to 4671 000 ha); and (c) an overall reduction in cropland productivity and a prevalence of increase in soil erosion. Our findings underscore the urgent need for taking measures to promote sustainable cropland use, including by protecting current cropland from further degradation (e.g. Southern Malawi) and improving cropland use planning (e.g. Northern Malawi).

Who benefits from climate-friendly agriculture? The marginal returns to a rainfed system of rice intensification in Tanzania

Abstract Agricultural production in sub-Saharan Africa faces a multitude of challenges arising from land degradation, climate change, and limited access to improved technology. In this context, technologies that raise farmers’ crop productivity while mitigating risk exposure are particularly valuable. This study assesses the impacts of a modified, rainfed variant of the system of rice intensification (SRI) on expected yields, yield variance (variability) and yield skewness (exposure to downside risk) in Tanzania. The appeal of the technology lies in its yield-enhancing potential, its low demand for complementary external inputs as well as its drought resistance features. While the uptake of SRI has been considerable in Asia, the limited uptake in Africa is puzzling, particularly given its suitability for the African setting. Our empirical strategy relies on the estimation of marginal treatment effect (MTE) models. We find that, while the average effects on adopters suggest that SRI enhances yield and reduces the downside risk of crop failure, the marginal treatment effects indicate that only farmers with low resistance to adoption, benefit. Our analysis also highlights the importance of farmers’ climate perception for the adoption of SRI and the need for policies that increase climate awareness to ensure food security. However, these results may well be specific to small scale, rainfed rice cultivation in Africa and therefore may not be generalizable to situations where SRI relies on irrigation.

Estimation of soil loss rate using the USLE model for Agewmariayam Watershed, northern Ethiopia

BackgroundSoil erosion and nutrient depletion threaten food security and the sustainability of agricultural production in sub-Saharan Africa. Estimating soil loss and identifying hotspot areas support combating soil degradation. The aim of this paper is to estimate the soil loss rate and identify hotspot areas using USLE model in the Agewmariam watershed, northern Ethiopia.MethodsRainfall erosivity factor was determined from annual rainfall, soil erodibility factor from soil data, slope length and gradient factor were generated from DEM, cover factor and conservation practice factor obtained from land use cover map. Finally, the parameters were integrated with ArcGIS tools to estimate soil loss rates of the study watershed.ResultsMean annual soil loss rates were estimated to be between 0 and 897 t ha−1 year−1 on flatter and steeper slopes, respectively. The total annual soil loss was 51,403.13 tons from the watershed and the annual soil loss rate of the study area was 25 t ha−1 year−1. More than 33% of the study areas were above tolerable soil loss rate (11 t ha−1 year−1). The spatial risk categorization rate was 67.2% severe (> 51 t ha−1 year−1), 5.4% very high (31–50 t ha−1 year−1), 5.8% high (19–30 t ha−1 year−1), 3.2% moderate (12–18 t ha−1 year−1) and 18.3% slight (0–11 t ha−1 year−1).ConclusionThe results showed that the severity of erosion occurred on the steep slope cultivation, absence of conservation measures, and sparse nature of the vegetation cover. This area required immediate action of soil and water conservation which accounts for about 33.5% of the total watershed.