THE AFRICAN GREEN REVOLUTION: RESULTS FROM THE MILLENNIUM VILLAGES PROJECT

The Millennium Villages Project (MVP) was initiated in 2005 to implement the recommendations of the UN Millennium Project for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The project is carried out in 14 sites in hunger and poverty hotspots in diverse agroecological zones in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The interventions and results for increasing staple crop yields are presented for eight MV sites and cover 52,000 farming households or 310,000 people. By supporting farmers with fertilizers, improved crop germplasm, and intensive training on appropriate agronomic practices, average yields of 3 t ha(-1) were exceeded in all sites where maize is the major crop. Teff yields doubled in the Ethiopian site. In contrast, there was little improvement in millet and groundnut yields in the semiarid and arid sites in West Africa. Over 75% of the farms had maize yields of 3 t ha(-1) and less than 10% of the households had yields lower than 2 t ha(-1). Households produced enough maize to meet basic caloric requirements, with the exception of farms smaller than 0.2 ha in Sauri, Kenya. Value-to-cost ratios of 2 and above show that the investment in seed and fertilizer is profitable, provided surplus harvests were stored and sold at peak prices. Increased crop yields are the first step in the African Green Revolution, and must be followed by crop diversification for improving nutrition and generating income and a transition to market-based agriculture. A multisector approach that exploits the synergies among improved crop production, nutrition, health, and education is essential to achieving the MDGs.