Technology Use, Maize Productivity, and Weather in West Africa

Maize is a staple crop across West Africa, providing food security and income for millions of households. However, productivity remains highly vulnerable to climate variability, with droughts, erratic rainfall, and rising temperatures threatening yields. Farmers have increasingly turned to technologies such as improved seed varieties, fertilizers, and mechanization to boost productivity, but the effectiveness of these technologies is not uniform across regions. Understanding how technology interacts with weather shocks is critical for designing resilient agricultural systems. Climate change has intensified the need for adaptive strategies, yet adoption rates of modern technologies remain uneven. Many farmers face constraints such as limited access to credit, extension services, and reliable weather information. Without clear evidence of how technologies perform under different climatic conditions, policymakers and businesses struggle to design effective interventions. This research situates technology adoption within the broader context of climate resilience, highlighting both opportunities and limitations.

The study employed a mixed-methods design, combining household survey data from multiple West African countries with meteorological datasets spanning several decades. Econometric models were applied to measure how technology adoption interacts with rainfall variability and temperature extremes to influence maize yields. This allowed researchers to isolate the effects of technology while accounting for climate shocks. In addition to quantitative analysis, the study incorporated qualitative interviews with farmers to understand perceptions of technology and climate risk. Regional comparisons were made between semi-arid and humid zones to capture heterogeneity in outcomes. The integration of household-level data with climate records provided a robust framework for assessing resilience. This dual approach ensured that findings were both statistically rigorous and grounded in farmer realities.