Crop Improvement in the CGIAR as a Global Success Story of Open Access and International Collaboration

The sector is comprised of several important subsectors, including cassava, maize, groundnut, rice, millet, sorghum, cowpeas, potatoes, beans, wheat, sweetpotato, and others. In SSA, cassava accounts for 24% of the value of production, followed by maize at 22%, and groundnut at 10%. The mean farm size in SSA varies significantly across countries, ranging from 0.8 hectares in Malawi to 4.3 hectares in Senegal. Women play a central role in farm employment, accounting for 40-70% of farm employment in several countries, including Malawi, Ethiopia, and Senegal. The majority of women in SSA are engaged in non-agricultural wage employment, non-agricultural self-employment, or agricultural self-employment. Research and development (R&D) investment in SSA is a critical factor in agricultural growth. However, the region faces several challenges, including a late start to food crop R&D, small country size, and unstable funding. In addition, spending on R&D has fallen in nearly half of SSA countries, and there has been a decline in CGIAR funding until recently. R&D investment as a percentage of agricultural GDP has been relatively low in SSA, ranging from 0.1% to 0.7% between 1971 and 2008. Market access is a critical constraint to agricultural growth in SSA, with the region accounting for 10-30% of global market access. The region's agricultural exports are dominated by a few commodities, including cocoa, horticulture, coffee, tobacco, cotton, sugar, tea, rubber, palm oil, sesame, and others. The majority of SSA's agricultural exports are destined for developed countries, with the European Union and the United States being the largest markets. The agricultural sector in SSA has significant potential for growth, driven by increasing demand for food and other agricultural products. However, the sector faces several challenges, including limited market access, inadequate R&D investment, and unstable funding. Addressing these challenges will require a concerted effort from governments, international organizations, and other stakeholders to improve market access, increase R&D investment, and stabilize funding.