IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agisys/v133y2015icp1-13.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Taking from cotton to grow maize: The shifting practices of small-holder farmers in the cotton belt of Mali

Author

Listed:
  • Laris, Paul
  • Foltz, Jeremy D.
  • Voorhees, Briton

Abstract

Cotton yields in Mali have fallen during the past 15 years while maize yields have risen. The objective of this study is to examine key changes in the agricultural system to understand how these changes might have influenced the production of these key crops. In particular, this study seeks to understand the causes of the drop in cotton yields in southern Mali and to question the hypotheses that rapid extensification of agriculture or soil fertility loss caused the decline. The study puts forth an alternative hypothesis that fertilizer shifting – whereby farmers apply fertilizers designated for cotton to grain crops – was an important and under-recognized factor in the decline in cotton and simultaneous rise in grain yields.

Suggested Citation

  • Laris, Paul & Foltz, Jeremy D. & Voorhees, Briton, 2015. "Taking from cotton to grow maize: The shifting practices of small-holder farmers in the cotton belt of Mali," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 1-13.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:133:y:2015:i:c:p:1-13
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2014.10.010
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X14001425
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.agsy.2014.10.010?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Baquedano, Felix G. & Sanders, John H. & Vitale, Jeffrey, 2010. "Increasing incomes of Malian cotton farmers: Is elimination of US subsidies the only solution?," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 103(7), pages 418-432, September.
    2. Smale, Melinda & Byerlee, Derek & Jayne, Thom S., 2011. "Maize Revolutions in Sub-Saharan Africa," Working Papers 202592, Egerton University, Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development.
    3. Baffes, John, 2007. "Distortions to Cotton Sector Incentives in West and Central Africa," Agricultural Distortions Working Paper Series 48526, World Bank.
    4. Jeremy Foltz & Ursula Aldana & Paul Laris, 2014. "The Sahel's Silent Maize Revolution: Analyzing Maize Productivity in Mali at the Farm Level," NBER Chapters, in: African Successes, Volume IV: Sustainable Growth, pages 111-136, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. Coulibaly, Jeanne Y. & Sanders, John H. & Preckel, Paul V. & Baker, Timothy G., 2011. "Cotton Price Policy and New Cereal Technology in the Malian Cotton Zone," 2011 Annual Meeting, July 24-26, 2011, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 103755, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    6. Tappan, Gray & McGahuey, Michael, 2007. "Tracking environmental dynamics and agricultural intensification in southern Mali," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 94(1), pages 38-51, April.
    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. Huet, E.K. & Adam, M. & Giller, K.E. & Descheemaeker, K., 2020. "Diversity in perception and management of farming risks in southern Mali," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    2. Giller, Ken E. & Andersson, Jens & Delaune, Thomas & Silva, João Vasco & Descheemaeker, Katrien & van de Ven, Gerrie & Schut, Antonius G.T. & van Wijk, Mark & Hammond, Jim & Hochman, Zvi & Taulya, God, 2022. "IFAD Research Series 83: The future of farming: who will produce our food?," IFAD Research Series 322005, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
    3. Hu, Yun-fei & You, Fei & Luo, Qi-you, 2018. "Characterizing the attitudes of the grain-planting farmers of Huaihe Basin, China," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 224-234.
    4. Ken E. Giller & Thomas Delaune & João Vasco Silva & Katrien Descheemaeker & Gerrie Ven & Antonius G.T. Schut & Mark Wijk & James Hammond & Zvi Hochman & Godfrey Taulya & Regis Chikowo & Sudha Narayana, 2021. "The future of farming: Who will produce our food?," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(5), pages 1073-1099, October.
    5. Louie Rivers III & Udita Sanga & Amadou Sidibe & Alexa Wood & Rajiv Paudel & Sandra T. Marquart-Pyatt & Arika Ligmann-Zielinska & Laura Schmitt Olabisi & Eric Jing Du & Saweda Liverpool-Tasie, 2018. "Mental models of food security in rural Mali," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 38(1), pages 33-51, March.
    6. Kelly, Valerie & Diakité, Lamissa & Teme, Bino, 2015. "Sorghum Productivity in Mali: Past, Present, and Future," Food Security International Development Working Papers 207024, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    7. Arouna Dissa & Jos Bijman & Maja Slingerland & Ousmane Mama Sanogo & Ken E Giller & Katrien Descheemaeker, 2022. "Growing cotton to produce food: Unravelling interactions between value chains in southern Mali," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 40(5), September.
    8. Smale, Melinda & Theriault,Véronique & Haider, Hamza, 2017. "Intrahousehold Efficiency Of Fertilizer Use On Dryland Cereals In Mali," Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research Papers 261672, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security (FSP).
    9. Ollenburger, Mary H. & Descheemaeker, Katrien & Crane, Todd A. & Sanogo, Ousmane M. & Giller, Ken E., 2016. "Waking the Sleeping Giant: Agricultural intensification, extensification or stagnation in Mali's Guinea Savannah," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 58-70.
    10. Smale, Melinda & Kergna, Alpha O. & Theriault, Veronique & Assima, Amidou & Keita, Naman, 2016. "Gender, generation and cereal crop intensification in Mali," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 235544, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    11. Fred Mawunyo Dzanku & Robert Osei & Isaac Osei‐Akoto, 2021. "The impact of mobile phone voice message reminders on agricultural outcomes in Mali," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 52(5), pages 789-806, September.
    12. Dzanku, F.M. & Osei, R.D., 2018. "Impact of pre– and post-harvest training reminders on crop losses and food poverty in Mali," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 275924, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    13. Smale, Melinda & Kergna, Alpha & Thériault, Véronique & Assima, Amidou & Keita, Naman, 2016. "Gender, Generation And Agricultural Intensification: A Case Of Two Cereals In The Sudanian Savanna Of Mali," Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research Papers 259505, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security (FSP).

    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. Smale, Melinda & Kergna, Alpha & Thériault, Véronique & Assima, Amidou & Keita, Naman, 2016. "Gender, Generation And Agricultural Intensification: A Case Of Two Cereals In The Sudanian Savanna Of Mali," Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research Papers 259505, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security (FSP).
    2. Haider, Hamza & Smale, Melinda & Thériault, Véronique, 2018. "Yield Response Of Dryland Cereals In Mali To Fertilizer: Insights From Household Survey Data," Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research Papers 270642, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security (FSP).
    3. Smale, Melinda & Kergna, Alpha O. & Theriault, Veronique & Assima, Amidou & Keita, Naman, 2016. "Gender, generation and cereal crop intensification in Mali," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 235544, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    4. Dono, Gabriele & Cortignani, Raffaele & Doro, Luca & Giraldo, Luca & Ledda, Luigi & Pasqui, Massimiliano & Roggero, Pier Paolo, 2013. "Adapting to uncertainty associated with short-term climate variability changes in irrigated Mediterranean farming systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 1-12.
    5. Delpeuch, Claire & Leblois, Antoine, 2014. "The Elusive Quest for Supply Response to Cash-Crop Market Reforms in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Case of Cotton," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 521-537.
    6. Takeshima, Hiroyuki & Liverpool-Tasie, Lenis Saweda O., 2015. "Fertilizer subsidies, political influence and local food prices in sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Nigeria," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 11-24.
    7. Delpeuch, Claire & Vandeplas, Anneleen, 2013. "Revisiting the “Cotton Problem”—A Comparative Analysis of Cotton Reforms in Sub-Saharan Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 209-221.
    8. Jeremy Foltz & Ursula Aldana & Paul Laris, 2014. "The Sahel's Silent Maize Revolution: Analyzing Maize Productivity in Mali at the Farm Level," NBER Chapters, in: African Successes, Volume IV: Sustainable Growth, pages 111-136, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    9. Amouzou, Kokou Adambounou & Naab, Jesse B. & Lamers, John P.A. & Borgemeister, Christian & Becker, Mathias & Vlek, Paul L.G., 2018. "CROPGRO-Cotton model for determining climate change impacts on yield, water- and N- use efficiencies of cotton in the Dry Savanna of West Africa," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 85-96.
    10. Saqalli, M. & Gérard, B. & Bielders, C. & Defourny, P., 2010. "Testing the impact of social forces on the evolution of Sahelian farming systems: A combined agent-based modeling and anthropological approach," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 221(22), pages 2714-2727.
    11. Muange, Elijah N. & Schwarze, Stefan & Qaim, Matin, 2014. "Social networks and farmer exposure to improved crop varieties in Tanzania," GlobalFood Discussion Papers 183635, Georg-August-Universitaet Goettingen, GlobalFood, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development.
    12. Romy Santpoort, 2020. "The Drivers of Maize Area Expansion in Sub-Saharan Africa. How Policies to Boost Maize Production Overlook the Interests of Smallholder Farmers," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-13, February.
    13. Smale, Melinda & Olwande, John, 2011. "Is Older Better? Maize Hybrid Change on Household Farms in Kenya," Working Papers 202594, Egerton University, Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development.
    14. Paswel P. Marenya & Menale Kassie & Moti Jaleta & Dil Bahadur Rahut & Olaf Erenstein, 2017. "Predicting minimum tillage adoption among smallholder farmers using micro-level and policy variables," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 5(1), pages 1-22, December.
    15. Theriault, Veronique & Smale, Melinda & Haider, Hamza, 2017. "Maize Yield Response to Fertilizer under Differing Agro -Ecological Conditions in Burkina Faso," Food Security International Development Working Papers 263194, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    16. Jaleta, Moti & Yirga, Chilot & Kassie, Menale & De Groote, Hugo & Shiferaw, Bekele, 2013. "Knowledge, Adoption and Use Intensity of Improved Maize Technologies in Ethiopia," 2013 Fourth International Conference, September 22-25, 2013, Hammamet, Tunisia 161483, African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE).
    17. TRAORE Lamine & Coulibaly Mamadou & Cisse Fatimata & Sissoko Dioukou, 2022. "Strengthening the Resilience of Maize Producers in the Koulikoro Region against the Adverse effects of Climate Change," International Journal of Sciences, Office ijSciences, vol. 11(03), pages 4-19, March.
    18. Abbott, Philip C., 2007. "Distortions to Agricultural Incentives in Cote d’Ivoire," Agricultural Distortions Working Paper Series 48522, World Bank.
    19. Dono, Gabriele & Cortignani, Raffaele & Giraldo, Luca & Pasqui, Massimiliano & Roggero, Pier Pao, 2014. "Income Impacts of Climate Change: Irrigated Farming in the Mediterranean and Expected Changes in Probability of Favorable and Adverse Weather Conditions," Journal of International Agricultural Trade and Development, Journal of International Agricultural Trade and Development, vol. 63(3).
    20. Bamou, Ernest & Masters, William A., 2007. "Distortions to Agricultural Incentives in Cameroon," Agricultural Distortions Working Paper Series 48518, World Bank.

    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:eee:agisys:v:133:y:2015:i:c:p:1-13. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/agsy .

    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.