THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURAL INTENSIFICATION - THE EVOLUTION OF MAIZE PRODUCTION IN THE NORTHERN GUINEA SAVANNA OF NIGERIA

A major concern in the agricultural development of West Africa is the inability of food production to keep up with population growth. This article focuses on the way in which production systems in West Africa evolve in response to increasing population pressure. This article describes a case from northern Nigeria where production systems have evolved in a way that has resulted in a highly productive system and substantial increases in farmer welfare. The crucial driving force was a technological breakthrough that enabled farmers to achieve significant increases in income by expanding production of a crop in which the area had an ecological comparative advantage. We identify the characteristics of this technological breakthrough. We point out certain concerns about the economic and ecological sustainability of the production system that are linked with the dominant role played by cereals in the farming system. -from Authors