Impacts of food crop improvement research: evidence from sub-Saharan Africa

The paper reviews and summarizes evidences of impacts of crop improvement research of major food crops in Africa. It provides evidence of increased availability of improved varieties of major food crops to farmers in Africa, increased food production in regions where adoption has occurred, and positive returns to research investment, indicating that agricultural research in Africa has had productivity increasing impacts on its agriculture. However, research impacts vary considerably across countries and regions within a country as a result of agroclimatic factors and policy environment, which affects the supply of seeds and other inputs, and the continuity and stability of research investments. The paper points to a number of important issues, both internal and external to the agricultural research system organization that need to be addressed if agricultural research is to provide a stimulus for modernizing African agriculture. Given the small size of food crop production area in many African countries, it is important for research systems to take full advantage of research spill-ins from regional and international research organizations. There is a great potential to increase the efficiency of research systems by improving the coordination among members of national research systems and continuing improvements in collaborations between NARSs and regional and international organizations. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.