IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/fpr/eptddp/3.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Infrastructure and technology constraints to agricultural development in the humid and subhumid tropics of Africa:

Author

Listed:
  • Spencer, Dunstan S. C.

Abstract

Green Revolution technologies have not been widely adopted in Africa. What are the chances that they will play a major role in the near future? This paper shows that the enabling infrastructure, especially rural roads and irrigation systems are not likely to be in place in the humid and sub-humid tropics of Africa in the next 20-30 years. Consequently a typology of the more appropriate set of technology that is input and infrastructure efficient, has high returns to seasonal labor and is sustainable is presented. Research institutions should be geared up now to produce them for use in 10-20 years.

Suggested Citation

  • Spencer, Dunstan S. C., 1994. "Infrastructure and technology constraints to agricultural development in the humid and subhumid tropics of Africa:," EPTD discussion papers 3, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    • Handle: RePEc:fpr:eptddp:3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.ifpri.org/sites/default/files/publications/eptdp03.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bindlish, V. & Evenson, R., 1993. "Evaluation of the Performance of T&V Extension in Kenya," Papers 208, World Bank - Technical Papers.
    2. Jock R. Anderson & Philip G. Pardey & Johannes Roseboom, 1994. "Sustaining growth in agriculture: a quantitative review of agricultural research investments," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 10(2), pages 107-123, April.
    3. Haggblade, Steven & Hazell, Peter & Brown, James, 1989. "Farm-nonfarm linkages in rural sub-Saharan Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 17(8), pages 1173-1201, August.
    4. Smith, Joyotee & Barau, Anthony D & Goldman, Abraham & Mareck, James H, 1994. "The Role of Technology in Agricultural Intensification: The Evolution of Maize Production in the Northern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 42(3), pages 537-554, April.
    5. Platteau, J.P., 1993. "Sub-Saharan Afraica as a Special Case: The Crucial Role of (Infra)Structural Constraints," Papers 128, Notre-Dame de la Paix, Sciences Economiques et Sociales.
    6. Riverson, J. & Gaviria, J. & Thriscutt, S., 1991. "Rural roads in Sub-Saharan Africa: lessons from World Bank experience," Papers 141, World Bank - Technical Papers.
    7. Cleaver, K., 1993. "A Strategy to Develop Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa and a Focus for the World Bank," Papers 203, World Bank - Technical Papers.
    8. Hans Binswanger & Prabhu Pingali, 1989. "Technological priorities for farming in Sub‐Saharan Africa," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 1(1), pages 46-65, January.
    9. Delgado, Christopher L. & Hopkins, Jane & Kelly , Valerie & Hazell, P. B. R. & McKenna, Anna A. & Gruhn, Peter & Hojjati, Behjat & Sil, Jayashree & Courbois, Claude, 1998. "Agricultural growth linkages in Sub-Saharan Africa:," Research reports 107, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    10. Oehmke, James F & Crawford, Eric W, 1996. "The Impact of Agricultural Technology in Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 5(2), pages 271-292, June.
    11. Matlon, Peter J., 1990. "Improving Productivity in Sorghum and Pearl Millet in Semi-Arid Africa," Food Research Institute Studies, Stanford University, Food Research Institute, vol. 22(1), pages 1-44.
    12. Anderson, Jock R., 1992. "Difficulties in African agricultural systems enhancement? Ten hypotheses," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 38(4), pages 387-409.
    13. Carr, S.J., 1989. "Technology for Small-Scale Farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. Experience with Food Crop Production in Five Major Ecological Zones," Papers 109, World Bank - Technical Papers.
    14. Frank Place & Peter Hazell, 1993. "Productivity Effects of Indigenous Land Tenure Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 75(1), pages 10-19.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Diao, Xinshen & Hazell, Peter & Thurlow, James, 2010. "The Role of Agriculture in African Development," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(10), pages 1375-1383, October.
    2. Escobal, Javier, 2005. "The Role of Public Infraestructure in Market Development in Rural Peru," MPRA Paper 727, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Author-Name: Jeffrey D. Sachs & John W. McArthur & Guido Schmidt-Traub & Margaret Kruk & Chandrika Bahadur & Michael Faye & Gordon McCord, 2004. "Ending Africa's Poverty Trap," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 35(1), pages 117-240.
    4. Byerlee, Derek & Heisey, Paul W., 1996. "Past and potential impacts of maize research in sub-Saharan Africa: a critical assessment," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 255-277, July.
    5. Massoud Karshenas, 2000. "Agriculture and Economic Development in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia," Working Papers 106, Department of Economics, SOAS University of London, UK.
    6. Akin L. Mabogunje, 2004. "Framing the Fundamental Issues of Sustainable Development in Sub-Saharan Africa," CID Working Papers 104, Center for International Development at Harvard University.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Spencer, Dunstan S.C. & Badiane, Ousmane, 1995. "Agriculture and Economic Recovery in African Countries," 1994 Conference, August 22-29, 1994, Harare, Zimbabwe 183375, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    2. Larson, Bruce A. & Frisvold, George B., 1996. "Fertilizers to support agricultural development in sub-Saharan Africa: what is needed and why," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 21(6), pages 509-525, December.
    3. Byerlee, Derek & Heisey, Paul W., 1996. "Past and potential impacts of maize research in sub-Saharan Africa: a critical assessment," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 255-277, July.
    4. George Frisvold & Kevin Ingram, 1995. "Sources of agricultural productivity growth and stagnation in sub‐Saharan Africa," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 13(1), pages 51-61, October.
    5. John W. Mellor, 2001. "Employment Multipliers from Agricultural Growth and Poverty Reduction," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 40(4), pages 371-400.
    6. Liverpool-Tasie, Saweda & Olaniyan, Babatunde & Salau, Sheu & Sackey, James, 2010. "A review of fertilizer policy issues in Nigeria:," NSSP working papers 19, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    7. Templeton, Scott R. & Scherr, Sara J., 1997. "Population pressure and the microeconomy of land management in hills and mountains of developing countries:," EPTD discussion papers 26, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    8. Nin-Pratt, Alejandro & McBride, Linden, 2014. "Agricultural intensification in Ghana: Evaluating the optimist’s case for a Green Revolution," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 153-167.
    9. L. ALAN WINTERS & NEIL McCULLOCH & ANDREW McKAY, 2015. "Trade Liberalization and Poverty: The Evidence So Far," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Non-Tariff Barriers, Regionalism and Poverty Essays in Applied International Trade Analysis, chapter 14, pages 271-314, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    10. Heisey, Paul W. & Mwangi, Wilfred, 1996. "Fertilizer Use and Maize Production in Sub-Saharan Africa," Economics Working Papers 7688, CIMMYT: International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center.
    11. Delgado, Christopher L., 1995. "Africa's changing agricultural development strategies: past and present paradigms as a guide to the future," 2020 vision discussion papers 3, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    12. Headey, Derek D. & Jayne, T.S., 2014. "Adaptation to land constraints: Is Africa different?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 18-33.
    13. Breisinger, Clemens & Diao, Xinshen & Thurlow, James, 2009. "Modeling growth options and structural change to reach middle income country status: The case of Ghana," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 514-525, March.
    14. Jolejole-Foreman, Maria Christina & Baylis, Katherine R. & Lipper, Leslie, 2012. "Land Degradation’s Implications on Agricultural Value of Production in Ethiopia: A look inside the bowl," 2012 Conference, August 18-24, 2012, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil 126251, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    15. Dzanku, Fred Mawunyo, 2019. "Food security in rural sub-Saharan Africa: Exploring the nexus between gender, geography and off-farm employment," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 26-43.
    16. Sanders, John H. & Ramaswamy, Sunder & Shapiro, Barry I., 1997. "Technology Development for Semi-Arid Sub-Saharan Africa: Theory, Performance and Constraints," 1997 Occasional Paper Series No. 7 198203, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    17. Sumberg, James, 2005. "Systems of innovation theory and the changing architecture of agricultural research in Africa," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 21-41, February.
    18. Savadogo, Kimseyinga & Reardon, Thomas & Pietola, Kyosti, 1998. "Adoption of improved land use technologies to increase food security in Burkina Faso: relating animal traction, productivity, and non-farm income," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 58(3), pages 441-464, November.
    19. Mellor, John W., 2014. "High rural population density Africa – What are the growth requirements and who participates?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 66-75.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:fpr:eptddp:3. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ifprius.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.