OAR@ICRISATOverviewAJallohauthorM DFayeauthorHRoy-MacauleyauthorPSeremeauthorR BZougmoreauthorT SThomasauthorG CNelsonauthorThe part of Africa designated as West Africa is made up of 16 countries— Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Its land area is about 5 million square kilometers, and its population in 2010 was about 290 million. With the exception of Mauritania, these countries are members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The subregion comprises a diversified agricultural base spread over a wide range of agroecological zones with significant potential for improved agricultural productivity. Agriculture is the major source of livelihood for the majority of West Africans. The agricultural sector employs 60 percent of the active labor force but contributes only 35 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). The disparity between contribution to GDP and share of population means that many West African farmers are very poor, producing close to subsistence levels and facing numerous constraints such as droughts, soil acidity, and nutrientdepleted and degraded soils that impinge on agricultural development. The most important foodcrops grown and consumed in West Africa are cereals— sorghum, millet, maize, and rice; roots and tubers—cassava, sweet potatoes, and yams; and legumes—cowpeas and groundnuts. Major cash crops are cocoa, coffee, and cotton...Climate ChangeAfrican AgricultureWest Africa2013International Food Policy Research InstituteBook Section

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