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Transaction costs and market access in Sub-Saharan Africa: the case of maize

Author

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  • Celine Bignebat

    (Marchés, Organisations, Institutions et Stratégies d'Acteurs - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - CIHEAM-IAMM - Centre International de Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen de Montpellier - CIHEAM - Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - Montpellier SupAgro - Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier, DIAL - Développement, institutions et analyses de long terme)

  • Isabelle Piot-Lepetit

    (Marchés, Organisations, Institutions et Stratégies d'Acteurs - Cirad - Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement - INRA - Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique - CIHEAM-IAMM - Centre International de Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen de Montpellier - CIHEAM - Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - Montpellier SupAgro - Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier)

Abstract

Staple crop production in developing countries contributes decisively to food safety. In Sub-Saharan Africa however, the Green Revolution, aiming at sustaining agricultural productivity growth was mostly viewed as not successful, compared to what happened in Asian countries. There is a widespread agreement on the fact that this statement is especially related to the food marketing environment and to transaction costs. Stagnant food crop productivity and poor market performance may then be at stake. The paper aims at identifying the relative importance of marketing and production behaviours. It focuses on the case of maize in Sub-Saharan Africa. The results show that, beyond production choices, two aspects should be taken into account in order to understand commercialisation decisions: the role of intermediation and that of storage.

Suggested Citation

  • Celine Bignebat & Isabelle Piot-Lepetit, 2015. "Transaction costs and market access in Sub-Saharan Africa: the case of maize," Post-Print hal-02793352, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-02793352
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