Sustainable Intensification and Climate-Smart Yam Production for Improved Food Security in West Africa: A Review

Intensification of staple food crops such as Yam (Dioscorea spp.) while sustaining the environment is imperative in providing food for the expected 9.6 billion global population by 2050. In West Africa, amid the threat posed by climate change on food security, yam production is associated with deforestation and land degradation. Integrated soil fertility management and improved staking options for intensification and sustainable yam production on continuously cropped fields hold the key to addressing this challenge. This review evaluates the last decade's yam production trends in West Africa and in three leading yam-producing countries, Nigeria, Ghana, and Cote d'Ivoire, using the Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT) data. A production increase of 1.72, 1.43, and 1.35 times resulted in an area harvest increase of 2.25, 1.23, and 1.59 times in Nigeria, Ghana, and Cote d'Ivoire, respectively. Nigeria and Cote d'Ivoire had the worst yam productivity across the decade by producing at an average yield 17.3 and 12.5%, respectively, of the estimated potential yam yield (50 t ha(-1)). Even in Ghana, where the productivity increased across the decade, the average productivity was 33% of the estimated potential yield. Thus, it can be observed that the primary reason for the increase in yam production across the globe and in West Africa is mainly because of the increase in area under cultivation in the major yam-producing countries. The projected future erratic rainfall and elevated daily mean temperature as a result of climate change would cause declining tuber yields. Meanwhile, the importation of food such as rice as a strategy to improve food availability cannot be accessed by poor rural households due to the strong correlation between international food price hikes and prices of these foods. However, there is less relationship between international yam price hikes and yam prices in West Africa. Therefore, yam production and sustenance could be vital for food security for the increasing population of West Africa. This study reviews current research on soil fertility and staking options for sustaining yam production on continuously cropped fields. Promotion and adoption of these improved technologies would enhance food security and contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals 1 (No poverty), 2 (Zero hunger), 13 (Climate action), and 15 (Life on land).