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22 Nov 2011
Unit:
LEI
 To deepen our understanding of the food security problem in Sub-Saharan Africa, a multidisciplinary team from Wageningen UR has mapped both biophysical and socio-economic conditions. In addition to biophysical factors such as soil quality and rainfall, prevailing socio-economic aspects are considered to be crucial for increasing food production and productivity growth.
The biophysical aspects have been combined in a map showing the potential yield of maize in different parts of the continent, with a resolution of 5 arc minutes (approximately 75 km2). Using maps, we show the gap between actual and potential yield and ask if the difference can be explained by socio-economic conditions.
LEI first identified a variety of socio-economic indicators to be mapped: human development, farm characteristics, the functioning of markets, and governance. This analysis was presented at the Tropentag conference, in October.
Further steps will aim at explaining the yield gap in terms of socio-economic conditions. This may point to areas where investment in increasing food production is likely to generate benefits, more specifically alleviating poverty and hunger.
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