Unraveling the causes and implications of crop productivity gaps in underperforming regions through integration of geospatial, biophysical and socio-economic factors

To cope with projected population and income growth the agricultural sector dramatically needs to increase production and productivity without compromising environmental sustainability. Recent research provides evidence of stagnating crop yields and regionally very heterogeneous crop yield patterns. In order to reverse this trend it is essential to identify underperforming regions and understand key causes of poor productivity. The general assumption is that regions where the yield gaps (difference between potential and achieved yield) are large, holds promise for productivity gains and increase in food security
This project will focus on Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where some of the largest yield gaps are observed. The aim is to understand the causes of observed large yield gaps and to integrate biophysical and socio-economic explanations for these. Crop yield maps will be created to study variations within and between villages, landscapes, and regions, spatially and temporally. Available socio-economic panel data will be combined with remote sensing and detailed investigations in selected villages in Kenya and Ghana with focus on soil conditions, management practices, labor availability and gender aspects. With
this approach we can link geo-spatial data to socio-economic characteristics by relating crop patterns to household-specific factors, combining detailed investigations with large spatial coverage, and thus progressing beyond site-specific observations and conclusions.