Cotton as Catalyst? The Role of Shifting Fertilizer in Mali's Silent Maize Revolution

摘要

No crop poses more of a conundrum in terms of its impacts on African societies and environments than cotton. Cotton has been dubbed "white gold" by some scholars and the "mother of poverty" by others. A shortcoming of most studies is that cotton is examined in isolation rather than as part of a broader agricultural system. This paper traces the linkages between cotton farming and the development of intensive maize production in Mali using a multi-scale, mixed-method approach. Quantitative analysis of a 15 year data set for over 100 households documents changes in area, production and yields for cotton and grain crops. Semi-formal interviews are used to understand farmer strategies for managing agricultural systems. Results show that cotton yields declined during the study period while maize yields and production increased significantly. We conclude that cotton has been a catalyst in developing intensive agricultural systems as farmers shifted key resources from cotton to maize.