The nexus of food production, human development and electricity access in West African countries

Abstract

Indonesia demonstrates its long term commitment in supporting agricultural sector development in West Africa. Food production in West Africa continues to face enduring challenges, including low agricultural productivity, inadequate infrastructure, limited access to energy, deficient human capital, and environmental vulnerability, despite the significant role that agriculture plays in employment and livelihoods. Annual panel data estimated using PMG ARDL from 14 West African nations including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo covering the years 2000–2022 are used in this study. The Food Production Index (FPI) is used to quantify food production, and explanatory factors include the Human Development Index (HDI), electricity access, employment in agriculture, and greenhouse gas CO2 equivalent emissions. Over time, human development and access to electricity have a positive and significant long run impact on food production. Furthermore, carbon emissions have a positive and significant long-term effect on food production, but positive and insignificant effect in the short run suggesting that emissions associated with modernisation, mechanisation, and increased agricultural activity may increase agricultural productivity. However, agricultural employment has a negative and significant impact both in the short and long term, indicating that a large concentration of labour in agriculture may be a reflection of labor-intensive and low-productivity farming systems in many West African countries. This study concludes that increasing food production in West Africa requires integrated policies focused on strengthening human capital, boosting reliable electricity access, encouraging sustainable agricultural intensification, and promoting climate-smart agricultural practices in order to ensure long-term food security and agricultural resilience. For Indonesia, this study can also help Indonesia to be more involved in worldwide development projects by providing information that might help on improving food production.