The research reported here has the potential for contributing to a real improvement in the livelihoods of mixed crop-livestock farming households in the dry savannah zone of West Africa through widespread uptake of improved dual-purpose cowpea (IDPC). This technology offers opportunities for the production of more, higher-quality food for poor people and fodder for animals, along with soil-fertility improvement and other social benefits. The study examines issues surrounding the adoption and impact ...

The importance of cowpea, Vigna unguiculata, in human and animal nutrition and sustainability of soil fertility are recognized globally especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where the crop is mainly produced in the Savanna and the Sahelian agro ecologies. However, cowpea productivity is adversely affected by both biotic (insect pests, diseases, parasitic weeds, nematodes) and abiotic (drought, heat, low soil fertility) constraints. Appreciable progress has been made in the improvement of cowpea ...

Climate change influences agricultural production and threatens the livelihoods of farming households in Africa. The impacts of climate change have been more severe for poor and marginalized peoples, especially women, than they have been for other groups in the society, due to their disadvantaged access to technologies, resources, information, and power. Conventional agriculture technology interventions aiming at improving productivity and income often do not consider social disparities and fail ...