Viewpoint – Water Variability, Soil Nutrient Heterogeneity and Market Volatility – Why Sub-Saharan Africa’s Green Revolution Will Be Location-Specific and Knowledge-Intensive
In his interesting Viewpoint article in Water Alternatives, Bruce Lankford suggests that an African Green Revolution cannot come about without irrigation. But he does not convincingly explain why irrigated areas expand only very slowly. This viewpoint article argues that grain yields have remained s...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Water Alternatives Association
2010-02-01
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| Series: | Water Alternatives |
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| Online Access: | http://www.water-alternatives.org/index.php/alldoc/articles/vol3/v3issue1/76-a3-1-9/file |
| _version_ | 1819211075045818368 |
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| author | Pieter van der Zaag |
| author_facet | Pieter van der Zaag |
| author_sort | Pieter van der Zaag |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In his interesting Viewpoint article in Water Alternatives, Bruce Lankford suggests that an African Green Revolution cannot come about without irrigation. But he does not convincingly explain why irrigated areas expand only very slowly. This viewpoint article argues that grain yields have remained stagnant in Africa because of high temporal rainfall variability, significant spatial soil nutrient heterogeneity, and weak and volatile markets. This combination calls for location-specific interventions that are aimed at enhancing farmers’ capacity to buffer water variations and address nutrient deficits. This finding is consistent with what Lankford dismisses as an "atomised" approach, but which would preferably be called a farmer-centred approach. Thus a massive investment in African agriculture is indeed required, primarily focused on the creation of knowledge that does justice to the local variation in water and nutrient availability. It should aim to empower farmers to experiment and be innovative, and remake agricultural extension and agricultural engineering exciting with cutting-edge disciplines. Irrigation may then emerge as the right thing to do. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T06:21:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7e304b9444f64e6487fdd5e912266824 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1965-0175 1965-0175 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T06:21:18Z |
| publishDate | 2010-02-01 |
| publisher | Water Alternatives Association |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water Alternatives |
| spelling | doaj.art-7e304b9444f64e6487fdd5e9122668242022-12-21T17:57:11ZengWater Alternatives AssociationWater Alternatives1965-01751965-01752010-02-0131154160Viewpoint – Water Variability, Soil Nutrient Heterogeneity and Market Volatility – Why Sub-Saharan Africa’s Green Revolution Will Be Location-Specific and Knowledge-IntensivePieter van der Zaag0UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, Delft; and Water Resources Section, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the NetherlandsIn his interesting Viewpoint article in Water Alternatives, Bruce Lankford suggests that an African Green Revolution cannot come about without irrigation. But he does not convincingly explain why irrigated areas expand only very slowly. This viewpoint article argues that grain yields have remained stagnant in Africa because of high temporal rainfall variability, significant spatial soil nutrient heterogeneity, and weak and volatile markets. This combination calls for location-specific interventions that are aimed at enhancing farmers’ capacity to buffer water variations and address nutrient deficits. This finding is consistent with what Lankford dismisses as an "atomised" approach, but which would preferably be called a farmer-centred approach. Thus a massive investment in African agriculture is indeed required, primarily focused on the creation of knowledge that does justice to the local variation in water and nutrient availability. It should aim to empower farmers to experiment and be innovative, and remake agricultural extension and agricultural engineering exciting with cutting-edge disciplines. Irrigation may then emerge as the right thing to do.http://www.water-alternatives.org/index.php/alldoc/articles/vol3/v3issue1/76-a3-1-9/fileIrrigationinvestmentfood securityrain-fed agriculturepolicyon-farm researchAfrica |
| spellingShingle | Pieter van der Zaag Viewpoint – Water Variability, Soil Nutrient Heterogeneity and Market Volatility – Why Sub-Saharan Africa’s Green Revolution Will Be Location-Specific and Knowledge-Intensive Water Alternatives Irrigation investment food security rain-fed agriculture policy on-farm research Africa |
| title | Viewpoint – Water Variability, Soil Nutrient Heterogeneity and Market Volatility – Why Sub-Saharan Africa’s Green Revolution Will Be Location-Specific and Knowledge-Intensive |
| title_full | Viewpoint – Water Variability, Soil Nutrient Heterogeneity and Market Volatility – Why Sub-Saharan Africa’s Green Revolution Will Be Location-Specific and Knowledge-Intensive |
| title_fullStr | Viewpoint – Water Variability, Soil Nutrient Heterogeneity and Market Volatility – Why Sub-Saharan Africa’s Green Revolution Will Be Location-Specific and Knowledge-Intensive |
| title_full_unstemmed | Viewpoint – Water Variability, Soil Nutrient Heterogeneity and Market Volatility – Why Sub-Saharan Africa’s Green Revolution Will Be Location-Specific and Knowledge-Intensive |
| title_short | Viewpoint – Water Variability, Soil Nutrient Heterogeneity and Market Volatility – Why Sub-Saharan Africa’s Green Revolution Will Be Location-Specific and Knowledge-Intensive |
| title_sort | viewpoint water variability soil nutrient heterogeneity and market volatility why sub saharan africa s green revolution will be location specific and knowledge intensive |
| topic | Irrigation investment food security rain-fed agriculture policy on-farm research Africa |
| url | http://www.water-alternatives.org/index.php/alldoc/articles/vol3/v3issue1/76-a3-1-9/file |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT pietervanderzaag viewpointwatervariabilitysoilnutrientheterogeneityandmarketvolatilitywhysubsaharanafricasgreenrevolutionwillbelocationspecificandknowledgeintensive |