Thumbnail Image

Importance of sorghum in the Mali economy: the role of prices in economic growth, agricultural productivity and food security

Year of publication 2018

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 56

Author Jeffrey Vitale

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Book (stand-alone)

Category Technical book

ISBN 978-92-5-130109-8

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) Mali has generated relatively high levels of agricultural growth over the past few decades. While most attention has focused success in cotton, since the early 1990s, staple food production has increased by an annual rate of 2.4 percent, roughly keeping pace with population growth. Most of the production, however, has been through area expansion, which increased at a faster annual pace, 2.0 percent, than the 0.5 percent increase in yields. Studies have found agricultural growth more effective in generating economic growth and reducing poverty than investments elsewhere, including the industrial sector. Mali shares many of the conditions favorable to successful agriculture led growth, including agriculture’s substantial contribution to GDP, a large smallholder population, and poverty concentrated in rural areas. This report investigated the role that sorghum production has played in economic development and poverty reduction in Mali, with a principal focus on how sorghum and similar commodity prices, as proxies to agricultural income, affect economic growth. Findings suggest that while sorghum and other staple food crops contribute to modest rates of economic growth, the lack of commercial marketing opportunities and “cheap food” pricing policy limit agriculture’s growth potential. The artificially low prices paid to Mali’s sorghum producers suppress farm income and constrain the long–term buildup of investment capital needed to adopt more modern and productive technology and management practices. Moreover, the low pricing has aggravated household’s ability to make any meaningful movement out of poverty. Policy needs to move away from pricing mechanisms that artificially maintain low food prices and increase crop research investments in staple food crops so that the large population of rural Malian household engaged in their production become engines of economic growth and bootstrap themselves from poverty.

Language English

Also available in:
No results found.

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Thumbnail Image
    Document
    Other document
    52 Profiles on Agroecology: Dual purpose sorghum and cowpea intercropping in Mali 2017
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    In Mali, agriculture is the main source of employment. Over 80% of the population is engaged in agriculture that is mostly carried out by small farmers with income of less than US$1 per day. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is an important cereal grain used as food and animal fodder (dual-purpose sorghum). Sorghum is predominantly grown in sole or in mixture with cowpea, peanut or maize in the Sudanian zones where the annual rainfall is comprised between 800mm and 1000mm. The main constrain ts to sorghum production are low soil fertility and low and erratic rainfall exacerbated by climate change.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    Technical book
    Rapid growth of selected Asian economies. Lessons and implications for agriculture and food security: Republic of Korea, Thailand and Viet Nam
    Policy Assistance Series 1/3
    2006
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    This publication is part of a three-volume diagnostic study on lessons learned and implications for agriculture and food security in the context of rapid growth in selected Asian economies: China, India, Republic of Korea, Thailand and Viet Nam. This third volume presents the country studies for the Republic of Korea, Thailand and Viet Nam. It discusses experiences in agricultural development and economic growth and the implications of rapid growth. The country studies provide useful lessons and insights on agricultural restructuring in response to changing market and trade opportunities. These are expected to be of interest to relevant governments, policy professions and development practitioners in crafting national policies and strategies for rapid and sustained agricultural growth to achieve the Millennium Development Goals of poverty and hunger eradication.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    Technical book
    Rapid growth of selected Asian economies. Lessons and implications for agriculture and food security: China and India
    Policy Assistance Series 1/2
    2006
    Also available in:
    This publication is part of a three-volume diagnostic study on lessons learned and implications for agriculture and food security in the context of rapid growth in selected Asian economies: China, India, Republic of Korea, Thailand and Viet Nam. This second volume presents the country studies for China and India. It discusses experiences in agricultural development and economic growth and the implications of rapid growth in these countries for their own economies and those of other countries in the region and beyond. The implications of and the lessons learned from agricultural and rural development in the world's two largest nations are expected to be of interest to relevant governments, policy professionals and development practitioners in the formulation of policies and strategies for restructuring their agriculture sectors in response to changing market and trade opportunities and to achieve the Millennium Development Goals of poverty and hunger eradication.
Show more

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

  • Thumbnail Image
    Booklet
    Corporate general interest
    Emissions due to agriculture
    Global, regional and country trends 2000–2018
    2021
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    The FAOSTAT emissions database is composed of several data domains covering the categories of the IPCC Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector of the national GHG inventory. Energy use in agriculture is additionally included as relevant to emissions from agriculture as an economic production sector under the ISIC A statistical classification, though recognizing that, in terms of IPCC, they are instead part of the Energy sector of the national GHG inventory. FAO emissions estimates are available over the period 1961–2018 for agriculture production processes from crop and livestock activities. Land use emissions and removals are generally available only for the period 1990–2019. This analytical brief focuses on overall trends over the period 2000–2018.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    Technical book
    The future of food and agriculture - Trends and challenges 2017
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    What will be needed to realize the vision of a world free from hunger and malnutrition? After shedding light on the nature of the challenges that agriculture and food systems are facing now and throughout the 21st century, the study provides insights into what is at stake and what needs to be done. “Business as usual” is not an option. Major transformations in agricultural systems, rural economies, and natural resources management are necessary. The present study was undertaken for the quadrennial review of FAO’s strategic framework and for the preparation of the Organization Medium-Term plan 2018-2021.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (series)
    Flagship
    The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021
    Transforming food systems for food security, improved nutrition and affordable healthy diets for all
    2021
    Also available in:
    In recent years, several major drivers have put the world off track to ending world hunger and malnutrition in all its forms by 2030. The challenges have grown with the COVID-19 pandemic and related containment measures. This report presents the first global assessment of food insecurity and malnutrition for 2020 and offers some indication of what hunger might look like by 2030 in a scenario further complicated by the enduring effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also includes new estimates of the cost and affordability of healthy diets, which provide an important link between the food security and nutrition indicators and the analysis of their trends. Altogether, the report highlights the need for a deeper reflection on how to better address the global food security and nutrition situation.To understand how hunger and malnutrition have reached these critical levels, this report draws on the analyses of the past four editions, which have produced a vast, evidence-based body of knowledge of the major drivers behind the recent changes in food security and nutrition. These drivers, which are increasing in frequency and intensity, include conflicts, climate variability and extremes, and economic slowdowns and downturns – all exacerbated by the underlying causes of poverty and very high and persistent levels of inequality. In addition, millions of people around the world suffer from food insecurity and different forms of malnutrition because they cannot afford the cost of healthy diets. From a synthesized understanding of this knowledge, updates and additional analyses are generated to create a holistic view of the combined effects of these drivers, both on each other and on food systems, and how they negatively affect food security and nutrition around the world.In turn, the evidence informs an in-depth look at how to move from silo solutions to integrated food systems solutions. In this regard, the report proposes transformative pathways that specifically address the challenges posed by the major drivers, also highlighting the types of policy and investment portfolios required to transform food systems for food security, improved nutrition, and affordable healthy diets for all. The report observes that, while the pandemic has caused major setbacks, there is much to be learned from the vulnerabilities and inequalities it has laid bare. If taken to heart, these new insights and wisdom can help get the world back on track towards the goal of ending hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition in all its forms.
Show more