Yield Gap-Based Poverty Gaps in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa.

SUB-Saharan Africa; AFRICA

Summary Given Africa’s challenge of feeding a growing population, narrowing yield gaps is an efficient way of raising production under covariate constraints. Using household panel data from 21 regions in eight sub-Saharan African countries, this article unravels the determinants of yield gaps. It also tests the hypothesis that poverty gaps are increasing with yield gaps. The results suggest that yield gaps are increasing with cultivated area; that yield differences are reducing with fertilizer use, particularly when combined with improved seeds in low production potential regions; that poverty gaps are increasing with yield gaps, particularly in low production potential regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of World Development is the property of Pergamon Press - An Imprint of Elsevier Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)