In pursuit of an African Green Revolution: views from rice and maize farmers' fields

An IRRI Seminar 

By Keijiro Otsuka

Professor, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), Tokyo

​​28 January 2016

1:15-2:​00 p.m.

Havener Auditorium 

​IRRI HQ​

Listen to the audio and view the presentation and abstract.

Abstract:

Given the pressure of an increasing population on increasingly limited cultivable land, sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) needs a green revolution. This study explores which crops are promising and what should be done to realize a green revolution in SSA. Based on analyses of country and regional yield data and farm household data collected in Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, and Senegal, lowland rice is arguably the most promising crop because of the high transferability of technology and agronomic practices from Asia to SSA. Thus, it is strongly recommended that extension capacity for rice cultivation be strengthened. Furthermore, considering the utmost importance of maize as a staple crop, a green revolution on maize must also be pursued. An integrated maize-based farming system is recommended, based on the emergence of a promising farming system in the highlands of Kenya.