Technology Policies for a Green Revolution and Agricultural Transformation in Africa

Asian Green Revolution is essentially technology-led and policy-supported, rather than policy-driven as is often assumed. That is, the development of semi-dwarf high-yielding varieties of rice and wheat by international agricultural research centres, such as International Rice Research Institute and International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, induced subsequent public-sector investments in irrigation, credit programmes and national research and extension systems by increasing the rates of return to such investments. Moreover, responding to profitable opportunities created by the new technologies, both factor and product markets developed in Asia. This paper discusses what lessons sub-Saharan Africa should learn from the Asian experience, particularly in the area of technology policies.