African farmers response to price: a survey of empirical evidence

Abstract

Believe it or not, there has been prolonged controversy among Anglo Saxon Economists regarding whether or not Africans are rational Economic beings. Several man years and huge sums of money have been spent on studies and several doctorates have been awarded by distinguished universities on the basis of studies designed to see whether Africans can really behave in an economic way similar to that of Anglo Saxons, on the agricultural front this debate has taken the form now popularly known as "Supply Response of African Farmers". This paper surveys and gives outlines of some major empirical works done in what is sometimes known as Anglophone East and West Africa. The literature is organised on the basis of three broad hypotheses: (1) Positive response, (2) Perverse response, (3) No response. The paper points out some of the general weaknesses of these studies and concludes by calling on Economists to put some aspects of this debate to eternal rest.