NEXUS OF IMPROVING AGRICULTURAL COMMERCIALIZATION AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN WEST AFRICA

Abstract

The desire to establish food security and alleviate poverty among the people of many West African countries has resulted in the passage of numerous pieces of legislation, including the Agricultural Productivity Program (WAAPP), to sustain agricultural growth and contribute to the development of a food-secure future. Many nations food security programs have prioritized agricultural automation and commercialization. Agricultural commercialization entails a steady shift from subsistence to mechanized farming, with profit maximization driving production and input decisions and deepening vertical links between input and output markets. This novel strategy aims to empower people at the grassroots level because the majority of the indigenous peoples in these nations are farmers, with the foresight that these nations would achieve their financial zenith when the people are economically secure. In this study, the authors sought to explore literature from the previous decades on expanding agricultural sector involvement and its implications for poverty reduction and food security in West Africa. Furthermore, the agricultural sectors advancement via mechanization and scientific and technological developments, the relationship between agricultural sector growth and food security, and the impact of agricultural development on poverty reduction in West Africa are discussed. Finally, agricultural commercialization and its influence on family economic development, and hence on poverty reduction and food security, are thoroughly examined. KEYWORDS: Agricultural sector, Poverty alleviation, West Africa, Food security, Commercialization