ABSTRACT

This chapter focuses on three measures of agricultural "performance" – namely, the value of crop output per unit of operated land and two key "modern" inputs, inorganic fertilizers and improved seeds. It highlights the merits of investment in rural education, which has been long viewed by development scholars as an important component of developing countries' rural development strategies. In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), three-quarters of the population reside in rural areas and rely on agriculture for securing their livelihood, increasing their welfare, accessing food, and fulfilling their basic needs. The strong focus on agriculture allows for a comparative analysis of modern technology use across countries to a greater extent than what is feasible from using existing census data. Agricultural productivity has been stagnant in many regions of SSA, and there are concerns regarding the effectiveness of policies aimed at poverty reduction, economic transformation, and growth.