Farmer-led irrigation development throughout the years

Throughout the different decades described previously, farmers’ irrigation initiatives have been consistently ignored or cast aside as unproductive and inefficient.

When recognised in policy, farmer-led irrigation development is equated with informal irrigation, and therefore in need of infrastructural and institutional formalisation.

In spite of this, farmers have continued to expand irrigated areas, often with little external (financial) support, and have contributed to increased food security and economic development on a regional scale.

Key messages:

  • Irrigation in Africa has been influenced by international issues (such as colonial priorities, changing donor policies and food prices) as much as domestic (national policies and government strategies).
  • Across Africa, the disappointing results of official irrigation schemes funded by government and international development agencies have improved in recent years. But large-scale developments tend to be slowed by barriers to large-scale land acquisition and extended timeframes for infrastructure construction. Farmers’ irrigation initiatives are commonly more dynamic. Even though farmers’ irrigation initiatives have not been systematically mapped or recorded, there is increasing evidence that, in aggregate, they cover much larger areas than was previously assumed.

Suggested further reading:

Acknowledgements:

  • Chris de Bont, Stockholm University, Sweden
  • Phil Woodhouse, Global Development Institute, The University of Manchester