Farmer-led irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa: synthesis of current understandings

This report focuses on irrigation initiated by smallholders, ‘farmer-led irrigation’

From:
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Published
5 July 2019
Document Type:
Thematic Summary
Theme:
Agriculture
Authors:
Wiggins, S, Lankford, B

Abstract

This report focuses on irrigation initiated by smallholders, ‘farmer-led irrigation’ (FLI), and addresses the following questions:

  • What is known about the extent of FLI in sub-Saharan Africa in the 2010s? What has been developed, and how?

  • How successful has FLI been? What problems arise? How do such developments compare to irrigation that has been initiated by public authorities?

  • How has public policy either assisted or hindered FLI? What are the lessons for policy-makers?

This synthesis brings together findings from research conducted under the DFID-ESRC Growth Research Programme (DEGRP) with the wider literature on irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa.

Citation

Wiggins, S. and Lankford, B. (2019) Farmer-led irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa: synthesis of current understandings: DEGRP Synthesis Report.

Farmer-led irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa: synthesis of current understandings

Published 5 July 2019
Contents