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Millet transactions in market fairs, millet diversity and farmer welfare in Mali

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  • Smale, Melinda
  • Diakité, Lamissa
  • Keita, Naman

Abstract

Although farmers in the Malian Sahel depend on millet for survival, demand and supply constraints have impeded their use of certified seed. We use data collected from households, vendors and seed samples to test the way market purchases of grain and seed affect household food consumption and millet genetic diversity. Purchase of millet grain in markets contributes to food security, but reduces dietary diversity – suggesting that scarce cash was directed toward meeting staple food needs first. Farmers purchased millet grain for seed only in the site with riskier rainfall and smaller market fairs. Although they were more likely to purchase in markets where the genetic dissimilarity of seed was higher, purchasing seed in markets was negatively associated with on-farm diversity. Seed shortage rather than variety experimentation appears to be the motivation for seed purchase. Introducing certified seed in rural markets through small-scale traders will require the provision of market services and promotional efforts.

Suggested Citation

  • Smale, Melinda & Diakité, Lamissa & Keita, Naman, 2012. "Millet transactions in market fairs, millet diversity and farmer welfare in Mali," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 17(5), pages 523-546, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:endeec:v:17:y:2012:i:05:p:523-546_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Louise Sperling & Patrick Gallagher & Shawn McGuire & Julie March & Noel Templer, 2020. "Informal Seed Traders: The Backbone of Seed Business and African Smallholder Seed Supply," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-18, August.
    2. Megan Mucioki & Bernard Pelletier & Timothy Johns & Lutta W. Muhammad & Gordon M. Hickey, 2018. "On developing a scale to measure chronic household seed insecurity in semi-arid Kenya and the implications for food security policy," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 10(3), pages 571-587, June.
    3. Smale, Melinda & Moursi, Mourad & Birol, Ekin, 2013. "Maize Hybrids, Diversity of Diets and Sources of Vitamin A among Smallholder Farmers in Zambia," 2013 Fourth International Conference, September 22-25, 2013, Hammamet, Tunisia 161475, African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE).
    4. Frank Mmbando & Edilegnaw Wale & Lloyd Baiyegunhi, 2015. "Welfare impacts of smallholder farmers’ participation in maize and pigeonpea markets in Tanzania," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 7(6), pages 1211-1224, December.
    5. Dedeurwaerdere, Tom & Hannachi, Mourad, 2019. "Socio-economic drivers of coexistence of landraces and modern crop varieties in agro-biodiversity rich Yunnan rice fields," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 177-188.

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