Adoption of Improved Sorghum

Over the past several decades, donors, multilateral organizations and governments have invested substantial resources in developing and disseminating improved varieties of sorghum and millet in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Sorghum and the millets, a group of small-seeded grasses indigenous to SSA, are two of the most important staple foods in this region. Primarily cultivated by smallholder farmers for domestic consumption, these two native crops thrive in harsh climates, are drought resistant, and do not require agricultural inputs such as inorganic fertilizer. Mostly grown in arid and semi-arid regions of the continent, sorghum and millet are an important source of protein and nutrients for millions of people.i,ii In West Africa, these two crops account for nearly 70% of total cereal production.iii Researchers believe that sorghum and millet have the ability to improve food security and mitigate the influence of climate change on food production for some of the most vulnerable populations.iv,v As a result, agricultural scientists have focused on developing improved cultivars to increase the relative benefits of these two crops and disseminate this technology to a larger number of farmers.vi