DIFFICULTIES IN AFRICAN AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS ENHANCEMENT - 10 HYPOTHESES

The agricultural systems of Sub-Saharan Africa are diverse and vast. Investment in public-sector agricultural research has been considerable, but advances in productivity have been patchy and disappointing. Several hypotheses are synthesized to seek to comprehend why 'improved' technologies have had such little impact in recent times. These variously relate to: profitability; risk; data relevance; research gestation, support and resource allocation; threatened natural resources; and economic infrastructure.