The agricultural sector is a significantcontributor to the economies of Guinea, Mali and Niger. Interms of share of GDP, agriculture represents 16 percent, 38percent, and 40 percent respectively. It is also a primarysource of employment for most of the population (68 percent,57 percent, and 75 percent respectively). Unfortunately,such critical sector is characterized by low yields due tolow input use and quality. The International FertilizerDevelopment Center (IFDC)estimated the average cereal yieldsto be 1.6 metric tons per hectare in 2014 in Mali, which isabove the sub-Saharan average (1 metric ton/ha) but wellbelow potential yields. With a majority of their land arealying in semi-arid and arid zones of the Sahel and theSahara desert, increasingly frequent crises arising from theSahel region’s high vulnerability to climatechange--characterized by recurrent extreme weather eventssuch as floods and droughts—low productivity has adverseeffects on farmers’ incomes and undermines household foodsecurity. Hence the main articlein the present volume isdevoted to the innovative effort of introducing e-vouchersschemes, supported by digital means, in Guinea, Mali andNiger. The e-voucher program is built around three keycomponents: a digital platform for SMS messages, a reliabledatabase of electronically-registered farmers in selectedregions, and a directory of agro-dealers. In so doing,fertilizers (or seeds) distribution becomes transparent,ensures high quality and as it unfolds, fosters privatesector participation. Based on pilot practices in thesub-region, four major lessons are learned. First, targetingis a key determinant of scope and success. In general,targeting depends on the main objective of the program:either poverty reduction, which would aim at farmers locatedat the lowest deciles of the income distribution, oragricultural productivity, which would also aim at thoselocated a few deciles above. A clear decision in this regardshould be taken upfront. Second, in rural populations withhigh levels of illiteracy, digital technologies should beadapted to their needs, with voice messaging working betterthan SMS messages. Third, effectiveness of these programsrelies on the efficiency of public procurement. In manycases, delays in timely providing agricultural input resultfrom bottlenecks at the procurement stage. As AFCW3governments become strongly involved in upscaling theseapproaches, it is my hope that this report will providefurther insights to help them in their successful implementation.
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