Communication of the results of the “Primary Production in the Sahel (PPS)” research project

The main conclusions of the Malian-Dutch “Primary Production in the Sahel (PPS)” research project, which was carried out during 1976–1981 (Penning de Vries and Djitèye, 1982), may be summarized as follows: (1) poor soil quality is just as great a barrier to rural development as water shortage; (2) animal production is high per unit area, compared with similar ecological zones in the U.S.A. and Australia; (3) attempts to increase production without due attention to the shortage of soil nutrients are bound to fail; (4) socio-economic conditions determine the feasibility of productive investments in agriculture in the Sahel. This article presents the PPS approach to publicizing these results and promoting a badly needed revision of development policy in the Sahel.