IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/agecon/v19y1998i1-2p81-86.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The impact of agricultural research in Africa: aggregate and case study evidence

Author

Listed:
  • William A. Masters
  • Touba Bedingar
  • James F. Oehmke

Abstract

This paper presents case‐study results and aggregate data to evaluate the impact of research in African agriculture. Of 32 case studies, all but eight report annual returns over 20% and many are far higher, with most gains arising in the late 1980s and 1990s. Spurred by policy reforms and changing incentives, these innovations have led to sustained growth in aggregate cereal crop yields since 1985. Africa's belated ‘green revolution’ is based on new varieties (often with early maturation for drought escape), complemented by new management techniques (typically labor‐intensive efforts to conserve soil moisture and build soil fertility).

Suggested Citation

  • William A. Masters & Touba Bedingar & James F. Oehmke, 1998. "The impact of agricultural research in Africa: aggregate and case study evidence," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 19(1-2), pages 81-86, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:agecon:v:19:y:1998:i:1-2:p:81-86
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-0862.1998.tb00517.x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1574-0862.1998.tb00517.x
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/j.1574-0862.1998.tb00517.x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mohamed M. Ahmed & William A. Masters & John H. Sanders, 1995. "Returns from research in economies with policy distortions: hybrid sorghum in Sudan," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 12(2), pages 183-192, April.
    2. Khatri, Yougesh & Thirtle, Colin & Van Zyl, Johan, 1995. "South African Agricultural Competitiveness: A Profit Function Approach to the Effects of Policies and Technology," 1994 Conference, August 22-29, 1994, Harare, Zimbabwe 183442, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    3. Lisa A. Schwartz & James A. Sterns & James F. Oehmke, 1993. "Economic returns to cowpea research, extension, and input distribution in Senegal," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 8(2), pages 161-171, February.
    4. Howard, Julie A. & Chitala, George M. & Kalonge, Sylvester M., 1993. "The Impact of Investments in Maize Research and Dissemination in Zambia Part I: Main Report," Food Security International Development Working Papers 54732, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    5. Melinda Smale & Paul W. Heisey, 1994. "Maize research in Malawi revisited: An emerging success story?," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 6(6), pages 689-706, November.
    6. Howard, Julie A. & Chitala, George M. & Kalonge, Sylvester M., 1993. "The Impact of Investments in Maize Research and Dissemination in Zambia, Part II: Annexes," Food Security International Development Working Papers 54731, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    7. Schwartz, Lisa A. & Sterns, James A. & Oehmke, James F., 1993. "Economic returns to cowpea research, extension, and input distribution in Senegal," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 8(2), pages 161-171, February.
    8. Pardey, Philip G. & Roseboom, Johannes & Beintema, Nienke M., 1997. "Investments in african agricultural research," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 25(3), pages 409-423, March.
    9. Boughton, Duncan & Frahan, Bruno Henry de, 1994. "Agricultural Research Impact Assessment: The Case of Maize Technology Adoption in Southern Mali," Food Security International Development Working Papers 54729, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    10. Walter P. Falcon, 1970. "The Green Revolution: Generations of Problems," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 52(5), pages 698-710.
    11. 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.
    12. Echeverría, Ruben G., 1990. "Methods for Diagnosing Research System Constraints and Assessing the Impact of Agricultural Research - Volume 1: Diagnosing Agricultural Research System Constraints," ISNAR Archive 310626, CGIAR > International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    13. Sterns, James A. & Bernsten, Richard H., 1994. "Assessing the Impact of Cowpea and Sorghum Research and Extension in Northern Cameroon," Food Security International Development Working Papers 54727, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    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. Pardey, Philip G. & Andrade, Robert S. & Hurley, Terrance M. & Rao, Xudong & Liebenberg, Frikkie G., 2016. "Returns to food and agricultural R&D investments in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1975–2014," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 1-8.
    2. Jayne, T.S. & Mason, Nicole M. & Burke, William J. & Ariga, Joshua, 2016. "Agricultural Input Subsidy Programs In Africa: An Assessment Of Recent Evidence," Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research Papers 259509, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security (FSP).
    3. Gabre-Madhin, Eleni Z. & Haggblade, Steven, 2003. "Successes in African agriculture," MSSD discussion papers 53, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    4. Alwang, Jeffrey & Siegel, Paul B., 2003. "Measuring the impacts of agricultural research on poverty reduction," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 29(1), pages 1-14, July.
    5. Fuglie, Keith O. & Rada, Nicholas E., 2013. "Resources, Policies, and Agricultural Productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa," Economic Research Report 145368, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    6. John McLaren, 2003. "Institutional Elements of Tax Design and Reform," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 15170, December.
    7. McGuire, Erin & Rietveld, Anne M. & Crump, Amanda & Leeuwis, Cees, 2022. "Anticipating gender impacts in scaling innovations for agriculture: Insights from the literature," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 25(C).
    8. Ismail Moumouni & Mohamed N. Baco & Latifou Idrissou, 2019. "Towards a Re-Conceptualization of the Pathway of Agricultural Technology for a Better Impact Assessment," International Journal of Publication and Social Studies, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 4(2), pages 123-131, June.
    9. Olasehinde, Toba Stephen & Jin, Ye & Qiao, Fangbin & Mao, Shiping, 2023. "Marginal returns on Chinese agricultural technology transfer in Nigeria: Who benefits more?," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    10. Govereh, Jones & Jayne, Thomas S. & Chapoto, Antony, 2008. "Assessment of Alternative Maize Trade and Market Policy Interventions in Zambia," Food Security Collaborative Working Papers 54492, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    11. Jayne, T.S. & Mather, David & Mghenyi, Elliot, 2010. "Principal Challenges Confronting Smallholder Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(10), pages 1384-1398, October.
    12. Alene, Arega D. & Manyong, V.M. & Tollens, Eric F. & Abele, Steffen, 2007. "Targeting agricultural research based on potential impacts on poverty reduction: Strategic program priorities by agro-ecological zone in Nigeria," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 394-412, June.
    13. Kim, Kwansoo & Chavas, Jean-Paul, 2003. "Technological change and risk management: an application to the economics of corn production," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 125-142, October.
    14. Adetutu, Morakinyo O. & Ajayi, Victor, 2020. "The impact of domestic and foreign R&D on agricultural productivity in sub-Saharan Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    15. Margaret S. McMillan & William A. Masters, 2000. "Africa's Growth Trap: A Political-Economy Model of Taxation, R&D and Investment," CID Working Papers 50A, Center for International Development at Harvard University.
    16. Alene, Arega D. & Coulibaly, Ousmane, 2009. "The impact of agricultural research on productivity and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 198-209, April.
    17. Johnson, Michael & Resnick, Danielle, 2004. "Strategic analysis and knowledge support systems for rural development strategies in Sub-Saharan Africa," DSGD discussion papers 14, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    18. Kremer, Michael & Zwane, Alix Peterson, 2005. "Encouraging Private Sector Research for Tropical Agriculture," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 87-105, January.
    19. Willian A Masters and Margaret S McMillan, 2000. "Africa’s growth trap: a political-economy model of taxation, R&D and investment," Economics Series Working Papers WPS/2000-14, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    20. Gabre-Madhin, Eleni Z. & Haggblade, Steven, 2004. "Successes in African Agriculture: Results of an Expert Survey," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 745-766, May.
    21. Rohrbach, David D. & Low, Jan W. & Pitoro, Raul & Cucu, Alfredo & Massingue, Jaquelino & Boughton, Duncan & Rafael, Guilhermina & Paulo, Antonio M. & Jocene, Domingos, 2001. "Investment Priorities for the Development of Mozambique's Seed System," Food Security Collaborative Working Papers 56047, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    22. 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.
    23. Masters, William A & McMillan, Margaret S, 2001. "Climate and Scale in Economic Growth," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 6(3), pages 167-86, September.

    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. Maredia, Mywish K. & Byerlee, Derek & Pee, Peter, 2000. "Impacts of food crop improvement research: evidence from sub-Saharan Africa," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 25(5), pages 531-559, October.
    2. Boughton, Duncan & Crawford, Eric W. & Howard, Julie A. & Oehmke, James F. & Shaffer, James D. & Staatz, John M., 1995. "A Strategic Approach to Agricultural Research Program Planning in Sub-Saharan Africa," Food Security International Development Working Papers 54702, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    3. Boughton, Duncan & Crawford, Eric W. & Howard, Julie A. & Oehmke, James F. & Shaffer, James D. & Staatz, John M., 1996. "Une approche stratégique pour la planification du programme de recherche agricole en Afrique sub-saharienne," Food Security International Development Policy Syntheses 11384, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    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. Govereh, Jones & Jayne, Thomas S., 1999. "Effects of Cash Crop Production on Food Crop Productivity in Zimbabwe: Synergies or Trade-Offs?," Food Security International Development Policy Syntheses 11371, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    6. Jayne, Thomas S. & Jones, Stephen P., 1996. "Food Marketing and Pricing Policy in Eastern and Southern Africa: Lessons for Increasing Agricultural Productivity and Access to Food," Food Security International Development Policy Syntheses 11337, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    7. Strasberg, Paul J. & Jayne, Thomas S. & Yamano, Takashi & Nyoro, James K. & Karanja, Daniel David & Strauss, John, 1999. "Effects of Agricultural Commercialization on Food Crop Input Use and Productivity in Kenya," Food Security International Development Policy Syntheses 11463, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    8. Howard, Julie A. & Mungoma, Catherine, 1996. "Zambia's Stop-And-Go Revolution: The Impact of Policies and Organizations on the Development and Spread of Maize Technology," Food Security International Development Working Papers 54689, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    9. Naseem, Anwar & Kelly, Valerie A., 1999. "Macro Trends and Determinates of Fertilizer Use in Sub-Saharan Africa," Food Security International Development Working Papers 54671, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    10. Karanja, Daniel David, 1996. "An Economic and Institutional Analysis of Maize Research in Kenya," Food Security International Development Working Papers 54693, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    11. Townsend, Rob F. & van Zyl, Johan, 1998. "Estimation of the rate of return to wine grape research and technology development expenditures in South Africa," Agrekon, Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA), vol. 37(2), pages 1-22, June.
    12. Rukuni, Mandivamba & Blackie, Malcolm J. & Eicher, Carl K., 1998. "Crafting smallholder-driven agricultural research systems in Southern Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 26(6), pages 1073-1087, June.
    13. Crawford, Eric, 1993. "Assessment of the economic impact of agricultural research: summary of studies conducted by Michigan State University," Staff Paper Series 324013, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    14. Magen, Benjamin B., 2012. "An Ex Post Economic Impact Assessment of Bean/Cowpea Crsp’s Investment on Varietal Development in Senegal," Graduate Research Master's Degree Plan B Papers 142739, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    15. Melinda Smale & Eliab Simpungwe & Ekin Birol & Girma Tesfahun Kassie & Hugo de Groote & Raphael Mutale, 2015. "The Changing Structure of the Maize Seed Industry in Zambia: Prospects for Orange Maize," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(1), pages 132-146, January.
    16. Pardey, Philip G. & Alston, Julian M. & Chan-Kang, Connie & Magalhães, Eduardo C. & Vosti, Stephen A., 2002. "Assessing and attributing the benefits from varietal improvement research: evidence from Embrapa, Brazil," EPTD discussion papers 95, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    17. Rukuni, Mandivamba & Blackie, Malcolm J. & Eicher, Carl K., 1997. "Crafting Smallholder-Driven Agricultural Research Systems In Southern Africa," Staff Paper Series 11531, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    18. Gabre-Madhin, Eleni Z. & Haggblade, Steven, 2004. "Successes in African Agriculture: Results of an Expert Survey," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 745-766, May.
    19. David C. Lane & Birgit Kopainsky & Andreas Gerber, 2017. "Why do some Food Availability Policies Fail? A Simulation Approach to Understanding Food Production Systems in South-east Africa," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(4), pages 386-400, July.
    20. 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.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:bla:agecon:v:19:y:1998:i:1-2:p:81-86. 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: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/iaaeeea.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.