Land dynamics, investments and production models in the West African irrigated sector: Financial rationale against social coherence?

Abstract

The Senegal River delta and the Office du Niger in Mali still have land to be developed for irrigated agriculture. Both have attracted private investors since the rise of food prices on global markets in 2008. After supporting family farming in cultivating irrigation schemes, governments nowadays favor the implementation of private companies by allocating them land to be developed. This paper proposes a conceptual framework linking land tenure with dynamics of irrigation development and applies it to both cases, where the State plays contrasted roles in terms of land management. While the Malian State still controls land allocation in the Office du Niger, the Senegalese government has transferred control to local communities. Comparing the two cases shows that land tenure, in relation with credit policies and selected technical options, partly explains the difficulties faced by family agriculture. However, the process of allocating land to private companies in these same areas is too recent to evaluate how it can contribute to the development of irrigation agriculture.