Exploring Crop Yield Dynamics Across Sub-Saharan Africa: A Six Country Study

Abstract

Millions of people rely on agriculture for their livelihoods and it is the backbone of the economy in many developing countries. Improving agricultural yields is widely recognized as a key strategy for reducing poverty and ensuring food security around the globe. This paper examines agricultural productivity trends and the factors influencing them between 2008 and 2021 in six Sub-Saharan African countries. We estimate six models across different levels of aggregation (plot, household, manager, and cluster) to assess changes in productivity over time. Our findings show no evidence of yield growth or improvement, with agricultural productivity remaining unchanged across levels over time. Our results also suggest that while agricultural inputs are associated with higher yields, household characteristics and plot manager traits are linked to less favorable outcomes, which could help explain the lack of yield improvement. These findings contribute to ongoing discussions about which policy tools can best support smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa in increasing agricultural productivity.